


Truce

by SocialDeception



Category: Far Cry 3
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Angst and Fluff, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Oral Sex, Slow Build, Swearing (Obviously)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-19
Updated: 2015-11-09
Packaged: 2018-04-10 17:38:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 34,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4401152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SocialDeception/pseuds/SocialDeception
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason finds himself being drawn to the beach where he can stare over the water at Vaas' island, night after night.<br/>At first he manages to convince himself that it's pride. Relief. Maybe a way to scan the area for any sign of life.<br/>But as his feet takes him in that direction on the third night, he knows there has to be more to it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [Tregua](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5345699) by [AnnMarcus63](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnMarcus63/pseuds/AnnMarcus63)



* * *

 

_The jungle speaks through the warrior. The Path leads to the heart of the jungle. Follow the Path and you will find the answer._

 

* * *

 

His feet finds the way before he even knows where he's going.  
  
No thoughts, no feelings as he walks through the jungle, even though he knows it's foolish. Out here you need to be alert. The jungle is full of predators, and not just tigers and bears.

Yet Jason finds himself being drawn to the beach where he can stare over the water at Vaas' island, night after night. At first he managed to convince himself that it was pride. Relief. Maybe a way to scan the area for any sign of life. But as his feet takes him in that direction on the third night, he knows there has to be more to it.

He can't tell what the truth is anymore. 

Before killing Vaas he thought it would bring a sense of relief. Some satisfaction at avenging Grant. Avenging Riley. Hell, avenging all of them. But staring out at the lonely island, he knows it isn't true. 

Granted, there was some pride when Citra rewarded him, some sense of achievement as the Rakyat treated him like their own. Yet he doesn't feel any relief, instead there's a strangely hollow feeling in him, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. It's so frustrating, like his feelings are dulled. Impossible to grasp at, and he has a deadline. 

_What are you doing, J?_

He can hear Grant's voice in his head so clearly it's like he's standing right beside him. It's been like that for a while now, Grant's always there, even though he isn't. Helping and urging him on. And of course he's right, Jason has work to do. 

Jason sighs. He hasn't even started on his way to Hoyt's island. Hasn't started preparing. No plans, no nothing. But does it even matter? Will killing Hoyt change anything at all? Liza didn't understand, like expected. For her the thought of revenge is probably as alien as it would have been for Jason before they came here. And maybe it should be. 

The sane thing would be to go back to that cave, back to his friends and escape. Escape while he still has some sanity left. Yet he doesn't move. Just keeps sitting on that same spot, uncomfortable, and not just because of the uneven terrain. Endless nights sitting at the shore, eyes scanning that island for signs of life that never comes. He keeps replaying Vaas' death over and over, never satisfied with how it makes him feel.

_I just need a few days_ , Jason brings a hand up to his head to ruffle through his hair.  _Just a few more days._

The outline of the island is so familiar to him now. It's like he knows every tree, every dip of the rolling sand dunes, every jagged rock and every piece of swaying grass. He can't see much of the compound from where he's sitting, but he knew that coming here. Jason stares at it, unblinking, until his eyes feel sore, but it doesn't ease the feeling in his chest. Not even noticing when night gives way to the first rays of sunshine, not until it's reflected off the water,blinding him. That's the cue for him to finally go home.  
  


* * *

  
It's dark in the cabin when Jason wakes up. 

It's been hard getting used to this new way of life. No obligations beyond the necessary and the primitive, no reason to follow any sort of schedule. Very different from his California lifestyle, busy with anything, so scared of being inactive. Of missing out.

There are no windows and hardly any light in the small shack he sleeps in. In here it's hard to keep track of time.

It's not like it matters. Jason feels at home out in the jungle now, sun warming his face, the silky leaves against his fingers. There's nothing in the villages or houses worth spending time on.

Jason sighs as he sits upright in the narrow cot, closing his eyes, but no longer tired. So desperately wanting this day to be different. 

He knows he can't afford to stay passive. Hoyt may not know his face, but he's after him all the same.

But swinging his feet over the edge of the cot, he wonders briefly if it even matters anymore. As long as he'll avenge Riley, as long as he kills Hoyt, then it no longer matters what happens to him. If he has to die to do it, then so be it. He holds no strong emotion one way or another. 

He opens the door, blinking against the sun for a few seconds. Judging by the position of the sun, it's already past noon, and Jason curse his nightly weakness as he scans the area.

He doesn't sleep right. Getting to bed too late, and not sleeping enough. Yet life outside goes on as if nothing is wrong at all.

Two-three of the Rakyat are patrolling the area, but a small group of people are conversing around a fire, roasting some animal over the open flames. He recognizes Dennis among them, and raises his hand half-heartily as a greeting.

"Jason, Jason, come here!" Dennis seems eager, gesturing with both hands for him to come over.

"Time to take back Vaas' island," he says when Jason comes closer. "We're leaving tomorrow, care to join us?"  
  
Jason can't explain the sudden collapse of the sinkhole inside him, can't comprehend why the thought bothers him so much. Tries to ignore his angry internal monologue. Take the island back? There's nothing left to take, Jason already cleaned it out.

But he doesn't say anything, doesn't betray his feelings, just smiles weakly.  
 

* * *

   
As expected, his feet takes him back through the jungle, back in that familiar direction as the light dims around him. Arms outstretched as he walks, feeling every fern and every leaf brush against him as he steps out of the jungle

This time tomorrow there will be lights and life over at the island. He isn't aware that he's digging his nails into the palm of his hands until he almost break the skin. That place is a tomb, and not a place for music and laughter.  _He_  took the pirate down.  _He_  beat him. And the Rakyat shouldn't be able to just swoop in and take it back. It's not theirs to reclaim.

Jason feels as if there's still something out there. The last fight with Vaas left him empty. Not just because it felt so anticlimactic, and not just because it hasn't changed a thing. Vaas seemed as tired as Jason during that last fight. Barely fighting back as Jason took his life, and the look in the pirates eyes as Jason stabbed him is replaying over and over in his head.

Hoyt is the real enemy. Hoyt has been the enemy all along. Maybe Vaas were as much of a victim as any of them are. A bitter smile plays at the corner of Jason's lips when he acknowledge those thoughts.

_Sympathy for Vaas? You're losing it J..._

But does it even matter? Tomorrow... Tomorrow they will take the island back.

_Tomorrow there will be lights, life and music out there._

That settles it then, and he doesn't think about his actions as he simply steps off the sand and into the water, no thoughts until his body is submerged in water.

He gasps a little, the temperature has dropped in just the few hours of darkness, and the water hits him like needles. He grits his teeth as he does some forwards strokes, body heating up as he does.

_This is ridiculous._

He has no business on that island. It's empty. Barren, except for those memories. The only thing that lingers there. He forces himself to breathe evenly, feeling the strain of his lungs, his heart beating wildly against his ribs in a way that makes him feel alive for the first time in a while.

Funny how easy the decision to go back was. It was like a shadow in his mind waiting to be illuminated. To be released. And once he committed to it, committed to that insane decision to say goodbye to whatever ghost is left out there, his mind was already starting to feel better.

The water is crystal clear, chilled, but not so bad once he gets the rhythm in, but it's still a surprise to him when his hands digs into soft sand. He grasps at it for a moment, not really ready for the reality of what that island represents. As he pulls himself up, water dripping down the planes of his face, he feels flushed. His cheeks burning hot, but hands freezing. 

The island is quiet. 

He can't even remember seeing any animals besides the guard dogs the last time he was there, and he feels a bit more confident as he steps out of the water, his wet and chilled clothes clinging uncomfortably to his body.

Even though there's no need for secrecy, he finds himself taking the same path to the compound gates as he did the first time. He takes his time as he walks slowly towards the gates, camera out as he inspects it. As expected it looks empty. More than that, really. It  _feels_  empty. Eerily quiet, and every step he takes leaves an echo, making him cringe.

Grant took him to an abandoned mining town down in Arizona once, and he still remembers the depressing feeling the town gave off, that same echo from their footsteps as they walked through the once active streets.

He straightens up when he reach the gates, the doors still ajar, inviting him in, and he walks in without hesitation.

 


	2. Chapter 2

There's no sense of relief as he walks through the gates of Vaas' compound.   
  
No closure.

He doesn't know what he was expecting, but not this. Anything but this.

His chest feels heavy, more so than before, and he lets his hand run across the crumbling wall. He knows it's his imagination, but the graffiti looks faded already. All those bleeding eyes, so similar he fleetingly wonders if they were stenciled on.

The air isn't heavy with the smell of smoke anymore, just a slight residue, a slight sting in his lungs as he steps up to the stripper pole, thinking back at when the place was swarming with life.

He should be happy. He single-handedly wiped out the pirates, not just for the locals, but for the Rakyat. Instead he wanders aimlessly around for a while, avoiding the warehouse. The fight left most buildings damaged in some way, but to be fair, they were probably pretty damaged to begin with. Still, there's a strange sense of melancholy that hits him as he walks around.

After a while he realize he's circling the warehouse, and he knows this is what he came here for. He takes a deep breath and opens the double doors leading into the darkness. He's dreaded this moment, as he isn't entirely sure what happened in there.

The first room looks like the first time he was there, but the second room is dark now, no neon lights.

_Peek-a-boo motherfucker._

It's like an echo in the air, and he turns, halfway expecting Vaas to stand there, ready to attack.  
  
But of course it's all empty, just the sound of his footsteps as he walks around the room. There's a light switch to his right, and he flicks it on, pinching his eyes shut as the light flickers on around him.

As he looks around, he realize the reason why he wanted to come here. He was hoping the room would bring some clarity in what really happened, but as he let his hand run across one of Vaas' blank TV screens, he comes to the sickening realization that he doesn't remember. Not apart from the hallucinations, and sometimes he has a hard time even remembering them.

What he does know is that Vaas looked at him. Even after stabbing him, Vaas was looking at him, really  _looking_.  
  
He gets that fragmented and detached feeling again, like he's watching everything from outside his body, like he's an actor in a movie. He's read about this sort of thing, defense mechanisms, ways for people to cope with extreme situations. Maybe this confusion has some sort of logical explanation, like his body protecting him.

_Or maybe I'm finally losing my mind..._

He laughs. Because that is the only thing missing from his life. 

The laughter must have freed something in him, because there's an actual smile on his face as he walks through the rooms in the warehouse, each room more absurd than the last. He can't even imagine how these rooms will be like if you're high off your ass, but he realizes with a jolt that he probably does. There's no other explanation for what happened. Vaas must have drugged him, that or the place was so filled with whatever fumes coming off Vaas that he got a contact high. He trails his hand along a stripper pole in the middle of another room, a quick flash of Vaas dancing around it as he does.

Surely that part must have been a hallucination.

A soft giggle escapes his mouth before he can compose himself, imagining Vaas trying to look intimidating as he twirls around a pole.  
  
The giggle quickly ends when he enters the final room in the warehouse.  
  
He can't speak or move at first, just stares at the wall on the opposite end of him, stares with his mouth open. Wondering briefly if he's gotten another second hand high from being inside the warehouse as he steps up closer. On the wall is a huge mural of himself. At least he thinks it is, he can't see how it can be anyone else.

Yet, it's too absurd.

The painted Jason has outstretched arms, a soft glow, like fire, blurring the outlines of his body. It reminds him of a mural of Jesus in a church Grant took him to in Rio. The same bleeding eye is covering most of his face, but the clothes... It's him. Behind him an arrangement of TV-screens in the shape of a cross, and he realize he must be standing in the very room the fight ended in.  

He reaches for it, and he's surprised to find the paint wet. Wet enough to remove, and as his finger leaves a trail in the paint he realizes there's something underneath. He doesn't know why, but he does a wide, swiping movement with his hand, feeling dizzy as his fingers finds traces of red underneath. He scrapes off more of the paint, catching a familiar outline underneath. Like a sickening mesh of him and the pirate, their bodies merging together.

_This is it_ , he thinks desperately, almost wanting to laugh again.  _I've lost my fucking mind._

Just when he's about to turn away, to finally leave this Godforsaken island there's a sound. Just the tiniest hint of a sound, but Jason is on overdrive now and he's certain he'd be able to hear a mouse scurry along on the other side of the compound.

There's a narrow staircase in the opposite corner, no railing, no indication at all, just a whole in the floor and he might have missed it if not for that tiny little sound. His fingers wraps around the gun, holding it at the ready as he stands on top of the staircase, trying to make out anything in the darkness below him. 

_Fuck it._

He knows it's stupid, but he starts on the descent into the darkness below him, not really caring what might lie ahead for him.

At first he can't see anything. Feeling the walls with his hands he can make out that he's in a hallway. Jason turns around for a second, making sure there's light coming down the staircase from the dim lighting upstairs, before he feels his way along the dark corridor. 

He comes to a intersection and stares into the darkness, trying to get a feel for where to go. The darkness is so  _dark_ , so all-compassing, it's like he's gone blind.

_The darkness is so dark. Fuck Jason, you're a fucking poet.  
  
_ And he giggles a little again, but down here it seems loud, too loud, and there's another soft sound coming from his right.

He follows it blindly, feeling his way along the wall until he finds another intersection. And this time he can see something in the distance. Flickering. Like candles.

His smile is gone as he follows it, no longer stumbling as he closes in, gun at the ready.

There's an uncomfortable smell in the air, he can't quite place it, but it makes his stomach churn. Like burned barbecue sauce, sweet and sour at the same time. He's so close to the door now, and for the first time in a long time he actually feels fear. This would be a real fucking bad place to die. 

Jason hesitates as he reaches the door, it's slightly ajar, but he can't see anything beyond it. It's bad, and Grant is telling him so, yet his hand is on the door before he even has the chance to plan out an attack or scope it out. The door is blissfully quiet as he push it open, and he scans the room, trying to orient himself.

There's candles, alright, and plenty of them. It's almost hard to breathe in there, the air thick and heavy with smoke and candles. The smell more intense now, metallic and heavy. There's a pile of sheets in one corner, and a locked door at the other end of the room, but other than that, the room is empty. Jason gets a prickling sensation at the back of his head.

_If someone was here, lighting candles, then they will be back._

Grant's voice sounds worried, but he doesn't move. He can't move. He's frozen like a deer in headlights. And as he hears someone push down the handle on the door opposite him, it's like time slows down.  
  
In that moment, it's like he can see everything clearly. He isn't even surprised as the door opens and Vaas comes out of it. Pale, but very much alive. They notice each other at the same time. Their eyes lock together, both freezing, just staring at each other. Jason breaks the silence first.

"You..." 

And Vaas laughs. Throws his head back and laughs.


	3. Chapter 3

Jason has his gun raised and aimed for Vaas' head before he even forms a coherent thought.

"What the fuck....?" It isn't really a question, or at least not a question he's able to form. 

Was this why he came here? Did he suspect this?

Vaas doesn't seem to care if Jason has his gun pointed at him or not. He's still staring at Jason with those strange, pale eyes, but he sits down, leaning his head against the wall with a grimace.

"I knew you'd be back," Vaas says, still smiling, but his voice lacks the edge Jason has come to know.  
  
Jason glances behind him, suddenly very aware of the darkness surrounding them both, licking his lips nervously.

"Don't worry, hermano. we're the only ones here-" Vaas fishes out a packet of cigarettes from his pocket. "Thanks to you," he adds ruefully.  
  
Jason ignores the crawling feeling at the back of his head, turning towards Vaas again, the fingers around the gun suddenly feeling clammy and cold.

"You look pale," he whispers.

"Yeah? Well, not as pale as you, white-boy," Vaas laughs, but the laughter quickly turns into a wince. 

Jason scoffs, but he moves closer, gun fixed at Vaas' head as he creeps against the other door. He opens it with his foot, and casts quick glances between the room and Vaas, who watch him in silence. It looks like a communal shower and bathroom, and it looks as empty as the rest of the island.

"What is going on?" Jason asks, feeling like everything is wrong here, like reality just doubled over or something. "I killed you."  
  
Vaas whistles.  
  
"Really? I'm sitting right fucking in front of you and you still think you killed me?" Vaas laughs. "You got me good, hermano, I'll give you that, alright, but that's about it." 

And Jason must have. There's bandages around the pirate's chest, freshly changed, but poorly so, probably what Vaas was doing as Jason walked in here, small flowers of fresh blood blooming through the white gauze. Vaas pulls out a cigarette, letting it dangle between his lips as he fumbles for his lighter.  
  
"Why are you down here?" Jason's mouth is dry as he watch Vaas light his cigarette.  
  
"Did you know-" Vaas starts, taking a long calculated drag of his cigarette, blowing smoke out as he looks up at Jason. "-That you killed all of my men? My fucking  _brothers_?"  
  
Jason doesn't answer. No need. Of course he knows. He hunted them all down.  
  
"But you know, that isn't even the worst part, fuck no. The worst is finding out that the people left don't even give a shit." Vaas leans his head back against the wall, blowing smoke thoughtfully through his teeth. "I left everything to join that fucker, and he can't even be bothered to  _act_  like it mattered."  
  
Jason is surprised by that, surprised that someone like Vaas can have feelings at all.

"Why does it even matter if he cares or not? Daddy issues?" Jason snorts. It sounded better in his head, but he keeps the steady eye contact either way, refusing to back down. Vaas turn to look at him, his pale eyes intense again, like Jason refueled the fire in them.  
  
"Why it matters? Why it fucking matters?" He looks as if he's ready to get up and fight, but instead he deflates a little, chuckling softly as he sinks back to the wall. "It matters, Snow White, 'cause you killed everyone. Don't you get it?"  
  
He isn't sure if he does, and they both fall silent.

Jason still hasn't gotten over that tight prickling sensation in the back of his neck, so he keeps glancing around the room, unsure if Vaas is telling the truth.

_What the fuck are you doing Jason?_  
  
Grant's voice is back in his head again, and it's harder to argue with him this time.   
  
What _is_  he doing? Vaas is right here. Unarmed and alone, yet Jason hasn't put a bullet in his skull.

_Why haven't I killed him?_

He must have said it out loud, because Vaas is smiling when Jason looks at him.

"Yeah, why  _haven't_ you fucking killed me yet, hermano?"

"No need," he whispers before he can stop himself, and Vaas shoots him a look. "You're no threat to me anymore."  
  
Vaas doesn't reply, instead he lights a new cigarette with the butt of the old one, hands trembling as he lowers them into his lap. It kind of feels as though he kicked someone who was already down, but Jason realize he doesn't care.

And why should he?

He should kill him, should take the pirates life, but looking at Vaas now, sitting pathetically in dirty old sheets, smoking cigarettes and God only knows what else, he realize he doesn't have it in him. One shred of humanity left, or just another sadistic streak, he isn't sure.

They exchange glances before Jason puts his gun in the holster, just to really drive the point home and that must be like a kick in the groin for Vaas because his right eye does a small twitch before he relaxes his face.

Jason turns to leave, disgusted with himself, disgusted with Vaas, disgusted by the whole island.  
  
_This place_ , he thinks,  _this place is hell._

"Do you know your brother is still alive?" Vaas suddenly shouts after him, and Jason's blood turns to ice as he turns around.

"What?" He intended the words to sound threatening, but it comes out as a pathetic little whimper instead, and Vaas smiles as he realize he has the upper hand again. Even though he watched his older brother die, felt the flow of blood die down between his fingers, he's still confused which brother Vaas is talking about.

"He's on Hoyt's island, I think Hoyt has some special plans for that little white boy." Vaas whistles and chuckles. "Young and untouched like that, fuck, I bet the offers are going wild."  
  
He must be talking about Riley, and Jason balls his fists.

"You're lying..." Jason whispers, suddenly out of breath and out of energy. "Keith saw him die."  
  
"Your fucking friend saw what I fucking wanted him to see." 

Reality is tipping over again.   
  
_Riley...!_  
  
The cold apathy he's been feeling for the past few weeks suddenly gives way to enthusiasm. 

_Could Riley really be alive?_

It's hard to say if it's Grant's voice or his own this time.  
  
He stares at the pirates face, it's still lit up in triumph, but it's impossible to tell if he's really telling the truth or not. Without a word Jason leaves the room, his shoulders tense again as he reach the surface, his mind clouded in such a way that not even the cold water to the mainland shakes him up.

 


	4. Chapter 4

The sky is so clear it's almost hurting his eyes, arms dangling out of the boat as he dips his hands mindlessly in the cool water. It's like he's back in California, floating in someone's pool, maybe having a cold beer. If he closes his eyes it's almost as if he can hear music too.

This might be the last chance for any sort of relaxation for a while, and he tries to savour it. He packed his backpack the night before after returning from Vaas' island, spent his last dime on better guns, crafted syringes until his finger's bled and hunted animals so he could make bigger and better bags for storing weapons and ammo. 

Willis said something about a helicopter, but the large military-type boat he managed to find near the Medusa will have to do. It feels good here for a while. The sun warms his body and the water is refreshing against his skin. He's comfortably full too, belly full of roasted boar and forest greens, and for a little while it almost seems alright.

Unwelcome thoughts keeps trying to seep into the comfortable blankness of his mind, but he chases them away as soon as they do. Riley is alive. He has to be, so Jason can save him. There's no way he'll be sold off before he can save his little brother. There's no way he's dead.

Other thoughts keep nudging him too, but he ignores them. It isn't any of his business what happens to Vaas when Dennis and the others reach the island. Furthermore, he really doesn't care. 

He keeps giving himself more time, more delay before he leaves.

_I'll leave as soon as the sun reach the top of those branches. As soon as it reaches that puff of cloud. As soon as it's midday._

But he doesn't move.  

_Maybe I have a better chance with Vaas along._

It feels more like someone else's random idea than an actual thought, though that doesn't make much sense once he thinks about it too hard. It isn't a bad idea though, apart from the obviously stupid aspects of it. Vaas probably knows Hoyt's compound and his routines. 

_Don't even think about it._  Grant warns.  
  
_He knows where Riley is. He knows the island. He could help me._  Jason argues, asoft snicker escaping his lips before he can stop it, realizing just how stupid this idea is. How stupid he is for arguing with his dead brother about whether or not he should bring a crazed pirate along to take back the brother he stole. 

Not just to save Riley though.

Vaas is crazy, but maybe he's crazy enough to go along with a plan to kill Hoyt. He seemed angry enough to.

_You can't trust him_. Grant has that tone of voice now, the tone that always made Jason deflate and cringe. The tone of voice he saved especially for when Jason had done, or was about to do, something incredibly stupid or reckless.

And he knows that. Knows he can't trust Vaas, because how can he forget? Vaas killed Grant, killed the only person Jason ever felt safe around, leaving him all alone on this Godforsaken island.

_But Riley needs me..._

And that's all that matters. He should be willing to do anything to save him. Even if that means getting help from the person who killed his brother. The one person who's made his life hell.

_How do you even know if Riley is still alive?_ Grant points out, but Jason doesn't have an answer for that.

He doesn't know, he  _can't_  know, but even if there's a small chance that Vaas is telling the truth, then he owes it to Riley to make sure. He can't afford being wrong. Even if that means putting his trust in a crazy pirate.

He's starting to wonder if he's crazy as well, because when he sits up he realizes the boat has drifted along the shore right back to Vaas' island. Or maybe he was there all along. Maybe he never left. He jumps out of the boat, too far away from the shore really, he's waist-deep in water before he realizes, and he wades over to the sandy beach.

Not a moment too soon, it seems, because when he reaches the beach he hears several cars skidding to a stop on the mainland. His blood runs cold when he makes out at least fifteen men pouring out of the cars, Dennis among them.

_Shit._

 

* * *

 

The jungle is a blur as he runs for Vaas' compound, the world around him tuned out, the only things there are the sound of his harsh breathing and the frantic beating of his heart.

It's idiotic. He doesn't even know if Vaas is still there, maybe he finally died after all, but he doesn't slow down, not even as he reach the gates, crashing though them as he sprints for the warehouse. 

He doesn't bother being quiet, his footsteps echoing through the rooms as he makes his way over to the staircase, diving into the darkness unarmed and desperate.  
  
Right now it feels like Vaas is the only way out. The key to saving Riley and the real ticket out of here. 

He uses his shoulder to break though the last door, not wanting to waste any time. Vaas is still sitting in that same position, head leaned against the wall and a cigarette between his lips. For a sickening second Jason thinks Vaas really is dead, until he turns his head and stares at him.

"Change your mind?"  
  
Jason's breath is still coming in harsh pants, and he has to take a second before he's even able to form the words.

"They are coming," he finally says, but Vaas doesn't react.

"So?" he simply says, moving his head back in it's original position.

"You stupid fucking asshole," Jason grits, charging for the pirate. 

He grabs one of Vaas' arms, pulling it over his shoulder so he can halfway support and halfway pull him along. Vaas has been such a looming presence in his mind that he's surprised when he realizes Vaas is shorter than he is. The pirate is actually laughing again now.

"What the fuck, hermano? What the fuck you doing?"  
  
"Saving your fucking life, you stupid son of a bitch."   
  
They awkwardly limp through the hallways, Jason's skin crawling from the closeness to the pirate, his skin uncomfortably warm.   
  
"Do you have a fever?"  
  
Vaas doesn't respond, but Jason can feel him shrugging.

He must be. Jason can't ever picture him being this docile, but he doesn't have time to worry about it as he essentially drags Vaas up the staircase. Vaas is almost looking a little green now, and Jason let's go of him as he makes his way through the warehouse so he can look out through the main doors.

Jason can't see them, but he can hear them, and he realizes how futile his plan really is. He shuts the doors, locking and barring them before pulling some heavy pipes in front of the double doors for good measure.

He pauses for a second, suddenly very unsure of what to do. He knows he can't fight them. He doesn't want to fight them, hell, doesn't even want to deceive them. Not just because he's out-numbered, he doesn't care about that, but he does care about the fact that he's one of them. One of the Rakyat. Finally belonging. 

Is he ready to sacrifice all of that? And for what? Vaas? He takes a few steps in place, restless, he can hear them outside, hear them shoot their guns up in the air, cheering.

_No, not for Vaas_ , he thinks.  _For Riley._  
  
Jason turns, running over to where he left Vaas. It seems as if the sudden burst of physical activity has left Vaas in an even worse state, because he's doubled over now, chest heaving. The small flowers of blood on his chest getting bigger as he struggles to breathe.  
   
"Any other ways out of this place?"  
  
Vaas doesn't reply, just pants as he points a shaking finger up to something behind Jason.  
  
Jason turns, following the direction he's pointing, heart sinking. There are narrow windows far up on the wall, too far up to simply climb out of. Jason curses under his breath, ignoring Vaas' low chuckle.

He looks around in the room they are in, there's a few items of interest, and he starts pulling empty crates under the window, trying to build a crude sort of staircase for them to use. Vaas makes no effort to help out, instead he's halfway leaning on a crate, eyes glazed over. It seems like he's trying to follow Jason with his eyes, but he seems unable to focus on anything for too long. It worries Jason. Like he's gonna pass out or die on him any second.

Time is of the essence here, and not just because of the Rakyat outside the door.

The staircase seems sturdy enough when he test it, though he wouldn't trust it for bigger heights. His brain starts conjuring up images of him and Vaas balancing along it across the Niagara Falls or something, and he isn't aware he's laughing until Vaas speaks.

"What's so funny, hermano? Huh? You fucking crazy?" 

Jason doesn't answer, instead motioning to Vaas to follow him as he starts climbing the rushed construction. To Jason's surprise Vaas actually obliges, even though he glares at the crate-stairs with distrust when he starts climbing.

Jason stares out the dirty window, scanning the treeline for any of the Rakyat, but he can't see any. He quickly unlatches the window, pushing on it to open it. It doesn't budge, the wood just creaks painfully as he applies pressure to it.

"Fuck. It must be painted shut," Jason pants, giving it a few pushes with his shoulder.

He meets Vaas' eyes again, but he stop himself just as he's about to tell Vaas to cover his face.

_Vaas is a big boy. He'll figure it out._

It seems Vaas is already aware of what Jason intends to do, because he lowers his head as Jason uses the handle of his knife to break the window. The old industrial-style window panes falls out of the frame, most of them in one piece, crashing to the ground painfully loud beneath them. 

"C'mon, hurry." 

Vaas makes no attempts to move, just stares at the window, his face still a strange shade of green, and Jason grabs a hold of Vaas' upper arm, pulling him up far enough so he can hook his arm around his shoulder.

He hesitates as he stares down, the glass from the broken window glittering dangerously in the sunlight, but he can already hear banging on the door and angry shouting. There's no time for a plan B.

_Hell, this is hardly plan A, little brother._

"Ready?"  
  
He doesn't really wait for Vaas to answer, grunting as they both push away from the crate, the thud of it landing behind them seeming far away and unimportant as they half jump, half fall out of the window.

They barely miss the glass as they land, their arms and legs intertwining as they roll around a few times on the grass. The impact knocks the air out of Jason, his shoulder aching from the awkward landing.

He's so focused on trying to breathe, each shuddering breath making the tendons in his shoulder ache, that he isn't aware that he is still clinging to the pirate. Vaas is on top of him, Jason's arm still wrapped around his back, and they stare at each other in dumbfounded surprise. 

The warm weight of him startles Jason, and he's suddenly stuck in paralyzed confusion. Vaas must have hit his face in the fall, because blood is trickling from his bottom lip. For some reason Jason finds himself transfixed with it, staring in silence until Vaas licks his lip.

"Fuck," Vaas croaks, and the awkwardness pass as Jason pushes him off.  
  
Vaas seems dazed, swaying as he gets up.

"What's the plan now, Snow White?" he snarls, wiping the blood off his lip with the back of his hand.

"We run," Jason says, grabbing Vaas' wrist.


	5. Chapter 5

Vaas lies near the front of the boat, shielded from the sun by the solid metal railing.   
  
Jason isn't sure how long they've been out there, but he can still see the familiar outline of the northern part of Rook islands to his right. Some paranoid part of his brain urged him to go as far out as he dared, even though he didn't see the Rakyat following them, or even spotted them as they ran for the boat. Yet some part of him is still worried they are being tailed. 

Vaas collapsed as soon as they entered the boat, sleeping restlessly ever since. He's still clearly weakened by whatever Jason has inflicted, yet Jason doesn't trust him enough to stop monitoring him. Vaas is crazy, and Jason has seen enough movies to know nothing stops crazy, not even a stab to the chest. 

Judging by the scars across Vaas' arms and head, Jason figures people has made that mistake before. Unless the scars covering his scalp are merely shaving accidents. He snickers softly, shielding his eyes as he checks the proximity to the island once more, almost choking on his laughter as he sees a boat patrolling too close for comfort. He glances quickly at Vaas, making sure he's still shielded from view before waving at the tattooed faces of the Rakyat. They seem oblivious to his deceit, smiling and waving before driving past, and he lets out a sigh of relief and disgust. 

In the far distance he can see the crumbling remains of Rook Point Tower, meaning they are close to the edge of the island.   
  
Closer to Hoyt.   
  
_And far away from Citra_ , he thinks thoughtfully, not quite sure if the heaviness in his chest is longing or something else. He doesn't dwell on it, instead he speeds up, following the tower with his eyes as they pass it, inwardly saying goodbye to the island in case he won't return. 

In front of them looms Hoyt's island, the terrain more jagged than the island he's leaving behind. Jason checks the course once more, adjusting it so it's further to the left before getting his map out of his back pocket. A place called Turtle Hill is marked on the map, but he isn't sure Willis marked it or someone else. Willis did mention that the south island was covered with bunkers just like the north, and an abandoned bunker off the coast would undoubtedly be a good place to make a camp.

He stifles a laugh once they reach the other side, Willis had been talking about that helicopter like it was the only way over there, but as far as Jason can tell they could probably swim over, it can't be more than half a mile.

It's getting darker around them as the sun move closer to the ocean, and he maneuvers the boat carefully around a small island right off the coast, circling it before stopping the boat close to a stony beach, partially hidden from view. Jason jumps out of the boat, staring at his surroundings before looking at the ground more carefully. It isn't so much a beach as just stony ground. The ground blackened, like a fire has ravaged the area. There's some palm trees along the grassy hills surrounding them, but it lacks the tropical feel of the north island.  

He debates whether or not he should just let Vaas sleep it out in the boat, but he decides against it. Vaas hasn't moved, still lying in the same position, his face pained even in sleep. Jason leans over him as he tries to shake him awake, disturbed by the heat radiating from his body.

"Vaas, hey, wake up." He shakes him, relieved when the pirate opens his eyes.  
  
A full range of emotions seems to flash across the pirate's face as he stares up at Jason, but he finally lets out a chuckle.

"Fuck. You still here, Snow White?" He winces. "I thought it was a bad dream."

"Come on. Let's move." Jason ignores Vaas' comment, instead offering him his hand. 

Vaas pretends not to notice, instead struggling to get on his feet by himself, sweat pearling on his forehead as he leans against the rail. If Vaas wants to be stubborn, then Jason will just let him, so he pretends not to be annoyed by Vaas' obvious show of rebellion. He isn't about to start pampering the slaver anyway.

They walk along the path in silence, ignoring the vultures above their heads and the body of a young man along the way. It's strange how quickly death has become trivial to Jason, not even batting an eye when they walk past, following the path as it curves up towards a small hill.

He doesn't complain about their slow speed, since Vaas is barely able to get up the hill at all. His face is no longer green, but white as a sheet.

The bunker is partially covered by trees, and a flush of relief washes over Jason when he sees it. He had his doubts he'd get any sleep with Vaas in the same room, but at least it looks safe enough. Maybe he wont have to worry about Hoyt or his men. Hell, even the Rakyat at this point. Although he still isn't sure they are aware of what he's done.

When they reach it, Vaas sinks down by the wall. The short walk must have drained him of all his energy again. Jason doesn't say anything, just stares at Vaas' pained expression before walking up to the sturdy metal doors. It doesn't budge when he tries to open it, and he lets his hand slide over it, thoughtfully. They would probably be able to blast them open with the dynamite he has stashed in his belt, but that would undoubtedly just get them some unwelcome attention. So instead he circles the bunker, finding a window at ground level which they should be able to squeeze through.

Vaas doesn't protest when Jason offers him his hand this time, getting back on his feet with shaking legs. Jason half-supports him as they walk over to the opening, motioning for Vaas to enter first. And he does, if you can call it that, almost sliding down on the floor inside the bunker before Jason is able to grab his wrist to steady him. Jason enters with a bit more grace, and as he straightens up he takes a brief overview of the room.

It's empty.   
  
No dead bodies or dirty mattresses, no signs of parties or tragedies. They inspect the room in silence, finally descending a staircase leading down into the barracks. It's smaller than expected, just two small rooms connected by a hallway, to their left a locker-room, to the right what must be intended as a bedroom, rows of narrow cots lining the walls.

Vaas doesn't waste any time, stumbling for the closest cot along the wall, collapsing right back into sleep. 

There's a lantern hanging on the wall, and Jason lights it with a sigh. It flickers off the depressing cement walls, filling the room with ghostly shadows. But Jason's eyes doesn't leave the pirate, he's just stares at him in silence, stares at the familiar red tank top, the bandaged fingers and Vaas' badly shaved mohawk. It would be so easy to kill him. Avenge Grant. Avenge Riley. All of them. Just slit Vaas' throat and end all of it.

_What are you waiting for, J?_  
  
He reaches for his belt, but instead of grabbing his knife, he kneels down beside the unconscious pirate, rolling out his syringes. He's used quite a few of them for his own cuts and burns, but he isn't sure if they work on infections.

_Only one way to find out._

He grabs Vaas' arm, ignoring the heat as he injects the content of the syringe into the crook of his elbow. Then, sitting back on his heels, he wonders if he should check the wounds. To know what they are up against.

He keeps his eyes locked on Vaas as he carefully lifts one end of the bandage enough to peek under it. The lantern doesn't provide much light, but he's thankful for that as his eyes wanders down. It's not as bad as he thought, but it still isn't good. 

In his drugged up state he had been sure he'd buried the dagger to the hilt in Vaas' chest, but staring at it now he realizes he couldn't have. But it is infected, just as he feared. The skin is shiny and taut, in an angry shade of red, each cut on his skin riddled with yellow. At least Vaas must have taken great care in keeping it clean, it still smells vaguely of disinfectant. Jason leans back, folding the bandages neatly back before he gets up and sinks down on the bed opposite of him, shotgun at the ready.

_If he moves, I'll hear it,_ he convinces himself, closing his eyes as he leans his head back against the wall. _If he moves, I'll kill him._

 


	6. Chapter 6

_He must be dreaming.  
  
_ _There's no other explanation from the shimmering nature of the world around him, the way his feet seems to be wading through heavy syrup._ _Yet he's so_  aware  _of everything, like he's in control of the dream somehow.  
  
_ _Vaas is up ahead with his back to him, his broad shoulders raising and falling along with his breathing.  
_  
_They are in the jungle, but a strange one, the colours shift and sway, the light reflects off the dew like diamonds, and Jason trails his hand along it as he gets closer to Vaas. He must be unaware of how close Jason is, his focus on something ahead as he put one arm up to shield his eyes from the light.  
_  
_There's something in Jason's hand, but he's unable to look at it. It must be the dagger, but he can't lift it enough to see it, and his eyes are glued to the pirate up ahead._ _He's so close now. He can see the veins on Vaas' arms, the tendons in his neck as he cocks his head to the side, like he's listening for someone.  
_  
For me.  
  
_It's like an echo in the world around him, and as he raises his hand to attack Vaas, he spins around, pinning his arms over his head against a tree that wasn't there before._ _He leans closer, his eyes glittering like the dew on the ferns as he licks Jason's lips.  
_  
_"Did you miss me?"_  
  
Jason wakes in a panic, heart pounding as he gasps. The remnants of his nightmare still has it's sickly coils around him, and he stares wildly around the narrow room. He can't quite remember what he dreamt, but it had Vaas in it, and he halfway expects Vaas to stand over him, ready to slit his throat.

He isn't. Of course. He's is still sleeping in the cot opposite him.

He must be getting better, or at least getting better sleep, because he's on his stomach now with one hand dangling over the edge of the cot, snoring gently. 

Jason tries to lean back again, to get a little more sleep, but he's wide awake. With a sigh he pulls the map back out from his pocket, staring intently at the scribbles Willis had left him after he insisted on writing down some points of interest. He had been right about Turtle Hill, so Jason makes a point to look everything over.

The Compound.

It's almost smack bang in the middle of the map, close to where the four rivers that divide the island meet. With a little luck they might be able to just take the boat up there, take cover in the darkness and end up in Hoyt's camp. The chance of that actually working is minuscule though, and Jason knows it. Hoyt must have chosen that spot for a reason. Maybe he's an avid Risk-player.

_Or maybe just monopoly._

He snickers softly at his own bad joke before trying to think about this sensibly. There's undoubtedly patrols and guards all over the area. No, if they want any chance of getting into the compound they will have to be smarter. Willis mentioned another agent on the island, and Jason makes a mental note to call Willis and find out who this agent is.

With a jolt he realize he hasn't told Liza and the others about Riley. Maybe this could have a happy ending after all. He'll get Riley, and they will sail off into the sunset. If he'll get his brother to safety then he'll have no more qualms of staying at Rook island. With Citra, or...  
  
He glances over at Vaas for a second, making sure he's still asleep, before he checks the reception. There's no bars, and he stares at Vaas again before getting up. Vaas is still fast asleep so it's probably safe to go up to the surface and call them. 

His head is still swimming. After watching Grant die, he almost felt like he was unable to feel true happiness again, but he holds a fragile hope that Riley is still alive. Grant had always been the one he'd gone to, the trusted older brother, the only one he had counted on for anything, and he feels bad for ignoring Riley as much as he has. He isn't religious, but he suddenly finds himself bargaining.

_Please, let him be alive. Please, I'll do anything. I'll be the good older brother. I'll be like Grant. Just please let him be alive...!_

He walks up the stairs, leaning heavily to the cement walls, trying to ignore the stiffness of his shoulder as he dials the familiar number. Someone picks up right away and it startles him, like they've been waiting by the phone.

"Jason? Where are you?" It's Daisy and he clings to his phone, ashamed to admit he's relieved that it's not Liza.

"Daisy... I think Riley is alive. I'm on my way to save him."  
  
He can hear Daisy shout something to someone in the background, following by excited yelling.

"Have you seen him? Is he alright?"  
  
Jason doesn't know how to answer it, because the answer is too absurd.   
  
_No Daisy, I haven't seen him, but my new buddy-pal Vaas tells me he's a-okay. You remember him, right? He put us all in bamboo cages, gutted Vincent and shot Grant?_  
  
So instead he tries to make his voice urgent so she wont ask anymore questions.

"I have to get going. I'll keep in touch. Please stay in that cave, Daisy, stay safe, but if I need you I'm at Turtle Hill on the south island."  
  
He can hear the ruffling of papers through the phone and annoyed mumbling before she finally calls out in excitement.

"Ah! Turtle Hill! Got it. But Jason, please be careful. We're worried about you."

"No need to be," he reassures her, his knuckles turning white as he's gripping the phone. "I'll be alright."  
  
The line disconnects just as an arm hooks around his throat, constricting his air supply.

 

* * *

  
For a moment it's all just blankness as oxygen is being deprived from his brain, not even panic as black dots fly in front of his eyes.  
  
From the comfortable numbness there's a nagging sensation that's he's forgetting something, and the world surges back into focus as his brothers faces flash before him, Grant's voice like ocean waves.

_Remember what I taught you, little brother._

He knocks his head back, baring his teeth triumphantly as his head connects with bone with a sickening crunch. He can hear grunts of pain, but the arm around his neck doesn't ease up. His tender shoulder is hindering much movement, but Jason shoots his elbow back, ignoring the pain as it connects with flesh. The limits of his position makes his punches weak, but it must be enough because as he sends his elbow back for the second time, the assailant loosens his grip around Jason's neck, a long tirade of pained and angry Spanish echoing through the bunker.

When he turns Vaas is covering his ribs, blood oozing both from his agitated chest wounds and from a cut by his hairline, but Jason doesn't hesitate as he grabs him by the shoulder, kneeing him in his stomach.

"You fucking stupid asshole!" Jason yells, his fists beating down on Vaas as he does. "You're fucking half-dead and you decide  _that's_  the moment you try to kill me?"  
  
Vaas is actually laughing now, completely unhinged, laughing and grunting as Jason's fists hit him.

Jason is out of breath and he stops his attacks on him for a second. That second is enough for Vaas and he charges for him, knocking the rest of the air out of Jason's lungs as they barge into the wall behind them, and before he can tell what's happening he's on his back on the floor, Vaas on top of him.

"Fucking Jason Brody," Vaas sneers as he wraps his hands around Jason's neck. "You think I'll take orders from someone like you? Huh? Think I'll ever follow your fucking lead?" He's suddenly shouting now, his face contorted in rage.

Jason tries to pry Vaas' hands off him, tries to twist his head out of the way in disgust when blood drips from Vaas' face and onto his own. Vaas grins when he notices, and leans down closer, their eyes locking together.

"Fucking California boy thinks he got what it takes to survive the fucking jungle." Then he leans down, wiping his bloody face on Jason's forehead.

Jason starts flailing before he can compose himself, disgusted by the sticky heat on his skin, and he manages to flip them both over. Vaas is too busy laughing to react, even when Jason has his dagger out, pressing it against his throat.

"You fucking piece of shit!" Jason shouts, pressing the blade into Vaas' skin. "You stupid fucking asshole!"  
  
Vaas' laughter dies out as the dagger cuts into the first layers of skin, blood oozing up around the blade. He hisses through his teeth, eyes burning as they lock onto Jason.

"Just fucking do it," Vaas taunts. pressing his neck closer to the blade. "Do it chickenfuck. End our fucking miseries."  
  
Jason can't explain why the look in Vaas' eyes disturbs him so much, but he gets up, taking a few steps back.

"You're crazy," he whispers, and Vaas laughs again, though this time his laughter seems forced and without any real humour.

"Took you long enough to figure that shit out, hermano." He sits upright, but makes no attempt to get back up on his feet, his shoulders slumped. "You know, I bet my sister told you some stories, just like she did all the others."  
  
Jason flinch at that, but doesn't respond.  

"You want Hoyt dead," he states instead, knowing he's right on the money when Vaas' head snaps up at the mere mention of the name. "Probably as much as I do, am I right?"  
  
Vaas gives a dark chuckle at that. "I doubt it."

"Let's make a deal. We work together. We kill Hoyt. Get my brother out. After that, hell, I don't even care. We fight to the death."  
  
Vaas raise an eyebrow, sizing Jason up.

"You serious?"   
  
"Damn straight I'm serious."  
  
The corner of Vaas' lips twitch as he gets up, extending a bandaged hand. 

"Fine, hermano. Let's do it. Let's kill that motherfucker."

"Just like that?" 

"Just like that," Vaas confirms with a grin, stretching his hand out further.  
  
Jason hesitates as he stares down at Vaas' hand, refusing to ease his grip around the hilt of the dagger as he extends his own hand. His face twist as their hands meet, trying to hide the disgust he feels from being so close to the slaver. Vaas smirks, no doubt seeing the revulsion plastered across Jason's face.

"Then it's settled," Vaas exclaims, the excitement in his voice more disturbing than his violent outburst. 

_Just what are you getting yourself into, little brother?_  
  
But Jason doesn't have an answer. Not for Grant, and not for himself.

 

* * *

 

"We need disguises." 

Vaas looks up from the roasted pork in his hands, somehow managing to frown and chew at the same time. 

"You're noticeable enough as it is, you don't need bright red clothing to make you stand out even more." 

"I'm flattered, hermano," Vaas smiles widely, a soft emphasis on each word. "I had no idea you fucking  _noticed_  me."

"You seem to forget _you're_  the one saying I had a pretty face. Not the other way around," Jason points out, satisfied when Vaas' smile falters "Now get serious. Do you know where Hoyt's crew hangs out? We should infiltrate their usual spot"  
  
Vaas scoffs. 

"Hoyt's crew? Infiltrate? This ain't one of your Hollywood fucking movies, amigo. You think we'll go in through the roof all Mission Impossible-style, huh?" Vaas holds his hands up, wiggling his fingers. "Don't touch the floor, white boy!" 

"Fine. What's your plan then?" Jason picks at the meat, but Vaas' laughter is making him lose his appetite.  
  
Vaas wipes his hands on his pants as he leans closer to the fire, suddenly serious. The fire is reflected in his eyes, intensifying his stare.

"Now, Hoyt's privateers are military. Tough guys. All they care about is money."  
  
"They're mercenaries?"   
  
Vaas nods. "And far better equipped than my men ever were. Not that we ever needed to be." He shoots Jason a dark look. "I say we move in to one of the less guarded areas, steal or fuck it, even  _buy_ a couple of uniforms. That way we can get into Hoyt's compound."

"How is that any different from what I said?" 

"I didn't use any of those Hollywood fucking words, tough guy."  
  
Jason studies the map again, shaking his head as he tries to ignore Vaas' laughter.

"There's a gas and repair shop not too far from here, what do you think?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Vaas yawns, picking absent-mindedly on his fingers. 

It's hard to know what's on his mind. Vaas keeps switching moods, going from restless to friendly to aggressive and back again. When Vaas is friendly or indifferent like he is right now, it's hard to think of him as the asshole who killed his brother.

There's a stab of sadness as he thinks of Grant. It's been easy to keep his mind off his brothers, his mind preoccupied with simple and shadowy feelings of blood-lust and revenge; His humanity gradually shedding as hard metal meets soft skin. Over and over and over again. What was it Vaas had said? Insanity was doing the same thing over and over expecting things to be different?  
  
Maybe he finally has lost his mind, releasing his anger on the pirates, even though the real source of his sadness and anger is sitting right opposite him. Would Grant understand if he saw them right now? Is the voice inside his head any indication? Even mind-Grant is silent now, and he thinks back to when they were children, how Grant would let him crawl into bed with him whenever he had a bad dream.

"You're thinking about your brother, aren't you?" Vaas asks, surprisingly soft, tilting his head and brushing his hand awkwardly over his mohawk.

"I feel like I'm betraying him, sitting here with you," Jason admits, almost taken aback with his own honesty. He shouldn't let Vaas too close. Shouldn't let him in.

"I get that. You think that I don't, but I do." Vaas shifts uncomfortably, but he doesn't elaborate. There's a strange look on his face all of a sudden, not meeting Jason's eyes as he stares into the flames. 

"Earlier you said there was a time you'd do anything for your sister. You wouldn't anymore?" Jason clears his throat and hopes Vaas doesn't remember the setting in which he said that. It feels like forever ago, being tied up to that chair while Vaas set the room on fire.  
  
"I wouldn't, no, you're right." Vaas scrapes the bottom of the embers with a stick. He must be aware that Jason is staring at him, waiting for some sort of explanation, because he looks up at Jason without moving his head. "I love her. Okay? She's my sister, and I love her, but she don't love me right." He tosses the stick out towards the ocean. "Leaving all you manipulated fucks for me to deal with."  
  
He sounds annoyed, like Jason's pushed him right to the edge, so he leaves the subject alone although he's burning with questions. 

There's nothing left to say and they both stay silent as they stare into the fire, waiting for the sun to set enough for them to get going.     
  


* * *

  
Hermanse Gas and Repairs turns out to be a dingy little place surrounded by tall metal fences and Jason finds a spot where they can scope the area.

Jason's on his stomach, staring at it through his camera and counting the privateers. Vaas takes a more relaxed approach. leaning back and chewing on a piece of grass, rambling on about something Jason can't keep his focus on.

There's at least four privateers patrolling the area, and one sniper in a tower. The guards seems to be taking a set route, and there's an opening for them to kill one of the privateers pretty easily. Not with that sniper around though, and Jason gets his rifle out.

He meant what he told Daisy. Killing feels like winning. His heart is already pumping harder, the thrill of the hunt getting to him. 

_You're fucking losing it, J._

He has the sniper's head in the cross-hair and he holds his breath to steady his aim as he fires. The sniper falls down dead before he has a chance to react, and Jason can't hide the smug grin as he looks up at Vaas.

"Nice shot, Snow White."

Jason takes the camera back out. The other privateers seems oblivious to their now deceased sniper, and he gives Vaas a nod, the signal that it's time to go.

It's easy to get down there undetected. They are hidden by the fence, and they're able to stay hidden as they sneak right up to where the privateer will take a break. They're still covered by darkness and by ferns, just a few feet from the privateer on guard, and Jason feels his blood boil again. 

He has to stop for a second, taking a few deep gulps of air, trying to calm his breathing as he crotches down into the grass. He might be excited, but at the same time it's all routine now, isn't it? Taking lives, doing it as easily as going to the movies. He quickly creeps closer, smiling as he hooks his left arm around the privateer. Once he has the privateer in his arms, his knife finds the unprotected skin of the privateers neck, slicing it open in a long curve, silencing him as hot blood squirts over his hands.

The privateer goes limp in his arms, and Jason struggles a bit as he pulls the dead man behind the fence and into some low bushes. They'll have to move the bodies once they have the uniforms. Not that it really matters. There's no way he'll retrieve the dead sniper, so either way they will know that someone was there. 

If they are lucky they'll think the Rakyat did it.

No matter how routine the killing felt, undressing the body is something else entirely. The privateer's limbs are awkward and difficult to move as he pulls the uniform off, and there's something perverse about the whole thing that makes his throat run dry. Vaas is sitting on a rock, just observing him, his lips curled in an amused smile.

"I underestimated you, hermano. You fucking crazy, you know that?"

Jason doesn't answer, instead peeling off his own clothes, another routine as he neatly fold them up and leave them under a nearby rock. Vaas goes quiet, just stares at him, face like a blank mask as Jason steps into the uniform. It's a tight fit, but he zips it up effortlessly, meeting Vaas' gaze as he does.

"You ready?"  
  
Vaas nods.

It feels strange being able to stroll right into the camp, but the other privateers doesn't seem to question it, not noticing Vaas as he moves like a shadow between the buildings. Stranger still to stare at the men around him, trying to decide who will die.

The person pulling the shortest straw is a privateer near the door to the repair shop. Unlike the others he has a helmet and a yellow bandana covering his mouth and nose. Jason strolls up to him casually, leaning in as if he's gonna tell him something in confidence. Vaas is behind the guy before he understand what's about to happen, and with a quick movement he snaps the privateers neck.

The privateers will loop back around any second now, so Jason goes on ahead, making sure the path is clear while Vaas drags the dead privateer back behind the fence.

Vaas seems unhappy as he pulls the white belts off his shoulder. The bleeding must have subsided, because his bandages are clean now, but he still winces a little as he tears his tank top off. He's more muscular than Jason ever gave him credit for, and Jason finds himself staring at him with envy as he starts removing his tactical belt. His way of undressing is a lot more careless than Jason's, just dropping each article of clothing as he peels them off, leaving them in a pile by his feet.

As he starts pulling his pants off, he's suddenly doing it carefully, inching his combat pants slowly and deliberately down over his hips. Jason is about to say something, but chokes on it as Vaas keeps pulling them down, the light dusting of hair from his abdomen leading down into the darker triangle of his pubic hair. Jason is transfixed for a second, mouth open as Vaas pulls it down further until he has the good sense to turn around.

"Hey, what the fuck, man. Give me a warning next time, huh?" Jason hiss, annoyed that his face floods with warmth.  
  
Vaas is actually giggling now, and Jason hears the rustling of fabric as he fumbles with the uniform.

"Hey, hermano, I didn't fucking ask for you to stare at me like that." Vaas must be strapping the knee pads on, because Jason hears the sound of elastics and buckles snapping shut. "At least, you know, at least not without buying me fucking dinner first."

"What the hell? Why aren't you wearing any underwear?"  
  
"Freedom, hermano. Fucking freedom. Hey, you can turn around now."   
  
Jason turns around, cautiously, but he's relieved to find Vaas zipping up the rest of the uniform, adjusting the bandana over his face. From afar he looks like any other privateer, his eyes and scar hidden in the shadow of the helmet. 

"That's perfect." Jason tries to hide the surprise in his voice. "At least if you stop fidgeting so much."  
  
"The pants are nice," Vaas admits, squirming a little as he speaks. "But all this armour... I dunno. It's hard to move in it."  
  
"You'll get used to it. Now let's find a place to ditch the bodies."

Jason starts walking, but stops dead in his tracks when he realize it's the second time he's willingly turned his back on the pirate. Vaas is walking a few steps behind him, pulling on the bullet proof vest with a frown. 

_You might be after the same person, J, but Vaas isn't your ally._ Grant warns, and Jason knows he's right.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Vaas sits outside with his back to the bunker smoking a cigarette. Jason isn't entirely sure if contains more than just tobacco, because Vaas' eyes are getting increasingly glassy, but who knows, maybe it's the view. The thought makes him smile weakly, the mighty pirate king, moved by the sunset.  
  
The view is nice, even Jason has to admit that. Rook island contains such seediness, such brutality, but at the same time such amazing beauty.

The south island reminds him vaguely of California, but he doesn't feel homesick like he thought he would. Life at Rook Islands is better, in a lot of ways. For the first time Jason feels truly alive, which is ridiculous. He shouldn't feel alive here, he should feel dead. Life here isn't better. At least not on the surface. California is safer, predictable, lost in a million mindless activities. Rook Islands are raw, brutal and unforgiving, yet he's so acutely _here_ , like he feels everything more intensely. He is able to feel, smell and see so much better. Like he can feel the pirate next to him, smell the sunset and see himself changing into someone else.

In spite of the conflicting feelings in his chest he finds himself strangely mellow as they sit in silence, just staring as the sun moves toward the horizon. First transforming the sky into a brilliant white and yellow light that reflects off the water and makes it hard to see, then as it sinks into the ocean it softens into pink, orange and purple.

For a few minutes Jason is lost in the moment, lost in the beauty of the island. For a while he forgets about Vaas. Forgets about Grant. Even Riley.  
  
Then the moment is over, the sky turns from purple to blue, light fading as day gives way to night. All his feelings returning with full force as the world darkens around them.

"You ready?" Jason wasn't aware that Vaas was staring at him until he speaks. When he turns those pale eyes are fixed on his face, suddenly very clear and in the moment. It's as though Vaas is feeling the same way Jason was just a second ago. They stare at each other for a second, a nagging sensation forcing Jason to grab the pirate's hand.

"Swear to me that my brother is alive," he says, holding on to Vaas' hand so hard it must be hurting him. "Swear to me," he repeats urgently.

Vaas doesn't answer right away, just stares at Jason with a strange look on his face.

"I swear," he finally says.  
  
_You can't trust him, you can't trust him, you can't trust him_ Grant chants in his head, but there's something in Vaas' eyes that makes Jason think: _God help me, I do._

So Jason nods, letting go of the pirate with heat creeping up his neck. Vaas doesn't say anything, but Jason wonders if he has angered him, because Vaas almost seems flushed when he gets back on his feet, staring in silence as Jason hoists his backpack over his shoulder.

It feels strange handing the privateers weapon over to Vaas, and he stares at the pirate as he weighs the gun in his hands.

 _Turning your back on him. Giving him weapons. What the hell are you doing?_  Grant's voice is almost a sneer now.

Vaas gives him a last glance before he goes on ahead, oblivious to the turmoil inside Jason's head.

He can't answer it, can't explain why he trusts that Vaas won’t shoot him in the back or turn him over to Hoyt. Why he trusts that Riley is alive. Jason doesn't take his eyes off the pirate as they walk towards the boat though, Vaas a few steps in front of him. He walks like he doesn't have a care in the world, resting his gun nonchalantly over his shoulder.

No time to brood, he realizes, because it's time to go. The boat is still by the shore where they left it, and Jason breathes a sigh of relief. It might be big and clunky, but it's solid and trustworthy, and anything trustworthy is something Jason will cling to. He can almost feel his chest swell when he climbs in, feeling the motor roars to life when he turns the key. It seems impossibly loud in the night, but once he finds a comfortable speed it doesn't sound too bad.

"This island is different," Jason notes, uselessly, and Vaas nods.

"Never liked this one. Too open and empty."  
  
And the island really does look empty and dark as the boat slowly makes its way along the shore. Judging by the map there aren't a whole lot of camps and outposts on this side, so when Jason sees lights flickering near the mountainside he turns the engine down so the boat is barely gliding by in the darkness. There's a cave leading into the mountain, but he can't tell if it's natural or man-made.

"That's Hoyt's." Vaas leans closer, his voice low, like he's afraid Hoyt might overhear. "Shipping yard. Brings the new recruits there"

"Drugs or slaves?" Jason stares at the entrance as they pass it, his knuckles going white around the steering wheel.

"Both."

Jason goes quiet, but Vaas keeps on talking in a hushed voice, totally unfazed by Jason's silence and the horror going on right by their side. And why would he care? He's part of it. It takes everything Jason has not to turn the boat around.

What are they doing? Vaas was right, they are trying to act all Mission Impossible when the truth is that they have no idea what they are doing. Traveling to Hoyt's compound in a clunky old boat, no plans, no nothing. But that's how life on Rook Island goes, isn't it? Jason never had any plans.  

_And you still saved them._

Grant's voice is firm and comforting, and Jason keeps both hands on the boat's wheel, still going forward. This is what they agreed on. Scope things out. No plans are needed, because this is just a way to check security.

So when the shore splits open, revealing a river, Jason follows it's soft curve. It seems wide and simple enough as they start on it, but the river soon twists and narrows, the bottom of the boat scraping against the rocky ocean floor every now and then. It looked wide enough on the map, but as he tries to make out what's ahead he realizes with a sinking heart that they probably won’t get far. The spread palm trees are slowly being replaced with bigger and lusher trees, their crooked roots extending into the river. They are in a mangrove, and Jason curses as he tries to maneuver the boat without getting stuck.

Vaas is silent for once, but he must be getting restless. He keeps twisting his hands, rubbing his fingers through the gloves and humming tunelessly.

They drive past gates, and Jason makes out the shapes of houses in the darkness.

"Is this a town?"

"It used to be." Vaas shrugs.  
  
It's sickening staring at the empty buildings, Jason tries to imagine how it must have been there, he can see platforms and bridges. It must have been nice, once.

"How could you work for someone like him?" Jason tries to keep his voice neutral, tries to hide the disgust he feels for Vaas for allowing and feeding into a monster like Hoyt. Just sitting idly by while Hoyt exploits the islands, helping him as he ruin people’s lives.  

"I had no reason to complain, hermano. I had everything I needed."

"What?" Jason scoffs. "Drugs? Money? Hookers?"

Vaas' eyes are on him again when he turns, that unreadable expression he seems to save especially for Jason.

"Freedom, Jason. Freedom," he says the words softly, the words taking on a different meaning now, even though he spoke almost the exact same words earlier.  
  
Jason stares at the pirate, but Vaas is suddenly staring stiffly out ahead, like he's annoyed with himself.

"Citra said the tribe was your birthright?" He's careful when he says it, unsure if Vaas will explode or deflate. To his surprise and relief Vaas just chuckles.

"That's one way to put it," he answers quietly.

"I'm sorry, I just have a hard time understanding why someone would turn down the Rakyat for someone like Hoyt." Jason pushes on, and Vaas sends him a sharp look.

"And I'm sorry, but I don't think someone like you would ever understand." The words might be unfriendly, but his tone isn't.

Admittedly, he's probably right. Truth be told, Jason doesn't really know anything, does he? Doesn't know what kind of life Vaas has had. They must be around the same age, but vastly different. Vaas looks older, like he's lived a hard life, his muscular forearms riddled with scars and burns, the deep shadows around his eyes making him look drained and exhausted. In comparison Jason is an inexperienced little shit, pampered and sheltered, completely unprepared for what this island represents.

  
It makes him uncomfortable, so he stays quiet while they move forward.

 

* * *

 

Willis had marked a point on the map not far from where they are.

 _Bridge Control._  
  
He even underlined it, but offered no explanation what would be there.

Jason finds himself licking his lips nervously when they come closer, the bridge in front of them bigger than the earlier ones. The red metal stands out in the environment, and it almost feels like a turning point. They are definitely in Hoyt's territory now.

Vaas has started talking again, but Jason finds it impossible to keep tabs on the conversation as well as scanning the area as they glide soundlessly closer.

There's a man standing on the docks, his gun aimed at them as they come closer. Vaas starts raising his gun, but Jason stops him before he's able to raise it in view of the privateer in front of them. He's tall, taller than Jason, slim, but well-built, his muscular forearms covered in tattoos.

"Where are you going?" he half-shouts before they are close enough for him to speak normally, his accent making the words sound harsher than they really are.

"Just patrolling the area," Jason lies. "Seems there's a bit of a rodent problem around here."

"Ah, Jason Brody, ja?" The privateer says, and his eyes narrows as he stares down at the two, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. "Better be careful. He took down the pirate king, after all."

Vaas moves uncomfortably beside Jason.

"I doubt it was such a feat." Jason tries not to react as Vaas sends an elbow into his side with a hiss.  
  
The privateer doesn't say anything to that, just smiles again.

"Hey," The privateer says as he stares up the river. "When you two boys are done patrolling I suggest you meet with me here for a little chat." And before Jason has the chance to say anything, the privateer has already turned and on his way up the hill.

"You know him?" Vaas leans forward, staring at the other man with a strange look on his face.

"I've never seen him before." Jason starts the boat back up, forcing himself to keep his eyes forward.

"I don't like it hermano. I think he knows who you are."

"Impossible."

But despite his words he can't quite shake the feeling that the privateer was just playing around with them, totally aware who they are and why they are on the island.


	8. Chapter 8

"Looks like this is our stop." Jason has his map out again, switching between staring at the waterfall in front of them and the tiny little line on the map. "Would have been real fucking convenient if Willis marked this on the map." He mumbles, mostly to himself this time.  
  
It doesn't look like Vaas is paying attention anyway, he seems fidgety again, pulling restlessly on his gloves and body armour. There's a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead, a certain paleness to the pirate's face that makes Jason worry if the infection is back. His hands have a slight tremble as he steadies himself against the railing.

"I thought you said you had been here before? You couldn't remember a fucking waterfall?" He tries to keep his tone of voice normal, tries to hide the worry. He has no reason to worry about Vaas. Worrying about Vaas is inexcusable, unless it's about how useful he might be. 

"I didn't exactly take the scenic route, hermano, besides..." He coughs and squirms. "I don't come here for fun."

They exchange glances before stepping out of the boat. Vaas seems steady enough as he walks in front of him, so Jason resists the temptation to ask him how he's feeling.

It feels strange going up the hill to the main road, out in the open like that. They look the part, dressed in the privateer's uniforms and carrying their guns, but Jason doesn't feel the part. For the first time he feels a sickly kind of worry, like he's swallowed a bag of sand.

Saving the others was easy. No time for planning, no time for thinking, just _doing_. Some days that's all Jason feels he's able to do.

_Relax, J, you got this._

Jason feels thankful that his brother is with him like this, even if he isn't really. Because even though the words are his own, just mimicking his brother's voice, he does feel more secure as they start walking along the road towards Hoyt's compound.

It doesn't look like Vaas shares Jason's sense of security. His face is covered by fabric, but his eyes are far away in thought, his eyebrows knotted together. Whether it's the memories of this place or something else making his hands shake he doesn't know, but the pirate seems smaller, in a way. Deflated again. No fight in him as they walk in silence. 

A rare silence, really, Vaas seems to enjoy chatting, even when Jason isn't paying attention. As he glances over at Vaas, the pirate does the same, and they both look away without a word. The silence between them suddenly feels awkward and Jason is about to say something when he hears the familiar sound of a car coming up behind them.

Jason licks his lips nervously as the patrolling car drives past them, but the three privateers on board don't pay them any attention. He finds himself missing the north island again, where sneaking up to the pirates bases were made easy by thick vegetation. There's less places to hide here.

At least the walk is short, they reach a bridge, and the big cement wall surrounding Hoyt's compound comes into view.

"There it is." Vaas says flatly.

They move closer, still silent. He keeps having to tell himself not to crouch down into the grass like he normally would, just walk like he owns the place.

A car drives over the bridge to the main gates, but Jason doesn't have time to process who is arriving, because Vaas grabs him by the shoulder and yanks him back so he's suddenly pinned between the pirate and a parked truck, the movement so rapid and unexpected that Jason doesn't have time to shake him off. He stares at the pirate in angry surprise, but Vaas is looking in a different direction, eyes staring stiffly at the incoming car.

"Hoyt." He explains.

Jason peers out from their makeshift hiding place, trying to get a look at their common enemy. The car moves too quickly into the compound to really see, but he catches a glimpse of Hoyt looking bored in the backseat.

"This is fucking stupid." Vaas hisses. "There's no fucking way, Jason."

Jason turns to look at the other man, their faces so close together he can make out small details of Vaas' face he hasn't noticed before. Like the small freckle on Vaas' cheekbone.

"You're giving up?" Jason tries to keep his voice neutral, but he must be failing because Vaas finally looks at him, his eyes narrowed in anger.

"It's not about giving up, alright? I shouldn't give a fuck about this. Shouldn't give a fuck about Hoyt." He looks away again. "Shouldn't give a fuck about you..." He adds quietly.   
  
Jason stares at him in surprise, but doesn't say anything about the tone in the slavers voice.

"There's no fucking way we'll be able to take this fucker down, Jason." Vaas stares at him again, his eyes softer as he finally lets go of Jason's shoulder.

And as Jason tears away from Vaas' stare and looks up at the heavy cement walls surrounding the compound he wonders if Vaas is right. He survived Vaas' island on sheer dumb luck alone, and the compound is more heavily guarded, the privateers professionals. There's no way he'll ever be willing to give up on this though. No way he'll give up on Riley. He has to save him. No matter what.

"Maybe we should go talk to that guy by bridge control." He finally says.

 

* * *

 

The privateer is sitting at the front porch of the bridge control. He seems lost in his own thoughts, staring down the river, pose relaxed with his long legs stretched out and resting on top of the railing.

It's all for show, Jason realizes, because as they come closer, he's already on his feet. He reminds Jason of resting felines, always alert and always ready to pounce.

"I guess introductions are unnecessary?" Jason starts, still unsure what to make of the tattooed privateer in front of him.

The privateer laughs, but extends his hand.

"Never." He grins. "I'm Sam Becker. Willis called me and informed me of... Well, of you. Haven't heard from him in ages, and then..." His words trail off. "Never mind that."

"So you're the agent." Jason says, trying to hide his surprise as he shakes Sam's hand. Nothing about this guy screams CIA, but that must be the point. "Jason Brody." He adds, even though Sam already knows who he is.

Vaas doesn't introduce himself, instead he stays unusually quiet. He's leaning his weight on one leg, arms crossed, staring at the two of them with a sullen expression on his face.

"You've come to take Hoyt down, ja?" Sam finally lets go of Jason's hand, but his eyes don’t leave him.

"Actually, _we_ have." Jason clears his throat and motions to Vaas with a nod. The pirate straightens up, but his face is still dark.

Sam doesn't say anything to that, just stares at Vaas with badly veiled confusion.

"Well, get inside, get inside. Much to talk about." He finally says, and motions for them to follow him into the small building.

 

* * *

 

"We need a distraction." Sam folds his arms over his chest.

"What kind of distraction?" Jason squints down at the map in the half-darkness.

Sam is just about to say something when Vaas leans over the table, tapping a bandaged finger on the map.

"We take out the satellite, hermano. Kill the fucker's way of communication, okay? Alright." He sounds out of breath and annoyed as he leans back, his fingers trembling a little as he lights another cigarette.

"I say we plant two." Sam leans back over the map, circling a small dot with his finger, the legs of the spider tattoo on his cheek moving slightly as he grins.

"What's that?" Jason stares at it. "Isn't it too close to the satellite dish?"

"It's a cenote. Leads into Hoyt's recruitment center, but it also contains his boats."

"So we time then?" Jason doesn't wait for the reply, just laughs out loud. "I hope we're close enough to see that fucker's face!"

"We could be." Vaas says, his face lit up in that familiar, dangerous way, the same way he looked when Jason came to in the bamboo cage. "I go in there, right, I go in there and put a bullet right through his skull." He clicks his tongue in smug satisfaction.

Sam scoffs.

"Nein! You think Hoyt is stupid?"

"No, but I think he's greedy. And greedy is sometimes worse than stupid." Vaas says triumphantly as Sam shoots him a surprised look. "That's right, motherfucker. This ain't all for show." He grins, pointing at his head.

Sam shakes his head slowly, but he can't hide a smile as he stares down at the map. It's still clear that the agent doesn't trust Vaas, just like Vaas doesn't trust him, but Sam isn't showing him such open suspicion anymore. Neither does Vaas, he seems relaxed as he blows smoke up towards the ceiling.

The legs of the chair scrape against the floor as Sam inches closer to Jason, his face suddenly both intense and serious. Behind him Vaas is staring at them, his expression hard to decipher.

"I checked it out, ja? And your brother is being held in the basement, last cell on your right. We'll disable the cameras as the first bomb goes off so you can go in and get him. Then the second one so you can get him out."

_Get him out._

The words seem alien. It's what he came here for, but the thought of actually being able to save Riley seems impossible. He stares at the map, stares right through it as he tries to remember the last time he saw his little brother.

"And Hoyt?" He mumbles weakly.

"We'll rig the compound tomorrow. Make sure there's no way for him to get out, and if he tries..." Sam's voice trails off and Vaas hisses under his breath as he finishes Sam's sentence.

"... We'll fucking kill him."

"One way or another, Hoyt is dead by the end of the night." Sam confirms.


	9. Chapter 9

The air down in the cenote has a slight chill to it, and Jason rubs his arms as they scout the area. There aren't that many privateers down here, which could make things trickier.

 _Or easier_ , Grant whispers seductively in his head, but Jason tries to ignore it. Killing them all off would just arise suspicion, but Grant's voice is a distinct hiss in his head as they move closer. It's confusing, Grant was a lot of things, but never bloodthirsty. Maybe it's his own thoughts after all. Their voices are so intertwined sometimes he can barely tell them apart.

They don't know the routines down here, so they keep in the shadows. They're still dressed the part, Vaas' face hidden behind the bandana, their black and yellow uniforms both making them blend in with the others and stick out in the darkness. It makes it both harder and easier, and Jason can actually feel his heart pounding as he scans the area.

The boats are lined up along the docks, the water leading out through the wide passage carved out in stone, out to where Jason first saw the opening to the cenote. Jason sends a brief thankful thought to Sam who's braving the satellite dish on his own as they move towards the first boat. Seeing how little security this place has, it must be the easier part of the operation. 

The C4 feels heavy in his hands as they secure it on the hull of the boat. If any of the privateers are to look at the boats more carefully they'll probably be able to see the explosives, but Sam had been adamant that the boats would not be in use for the next few days. Jason still can't shake the feeling that they'll somehow mess up and end up killing slaves or get caught before he has a chance to save Riley.

Vaas seems undisturbed as he tugs on the explosives to make sure it's fastened correctly.

"Are you nervous at all?" Jason whispers, the pirate's face unreadable in the dim light.

"Not really." He says under his breath, a soft smile on his lips. "It'll be fucking worth it, hermano, fucking worth dying if that means taking that fucker down."

"I still don't get it." Jason admits, staring at the docks as they make their way over to the second boat. "It's not like you didn't know he was a bad guy."

"Thing is, okay, thing is there's a difference between bad and _bad_." Vaas starts, waiting for the patrolling privateer to pass them. "And I'm fucking pissed I went from one leash to another." He adds before moving out of the shadows.

The unexpected comment makes Jason pause for a moment, staring at the pirate as he disappears behind the next boat.

_Leash? Whose leash?_

Vaas' lips are shut in a hard line as Jason's follows him, clearly unwilling to elaborate.

"Well, just try not getting yourself killed." Jason mumbles as they secure the explosives to the boat. He doesn't know why he says it, but he realizes he means it.  
  
There’s a fleeting look of surprise on Vaas’ face before he smiles in the half-darkness. It's different than any other smile Jason has seen on his face, and he finds himself smiling back. Jason's smile fades as Vaas turns, suddenly feeling guilty for ever wanting Vaas to stay safe. That's no way to repay his brothers.

They make their way towards the final boat when a privateer steps out in front of them.

"Fuck." Vaas mumbles as the privateer stares at them. It's too late to make a retreat, so they carefully walk towards him, finding that the least suspicious option.

"Hey, are you..." But the privateer doesn't have time to finish.  
  
Jason is on him before he even has time to think it through, his knife effortlessly sliding through layers of fabric and skin, effectively silencing the privateer.

Vaas' eyes are opened wide in surprise and a part of Jason takes great pleasure in being able to catch the pirate off guard. Another part of him is horrified that he's managed to startle someone like Vaas at all.

"Cold." Vaas whistles under his breath as Jason drags the privateer to the edge of the dock, tossing him unceremoniously over the edge and watching in silence as air bubbles burst on the surface of the water. Then the privateer sinks into the darkness as if he was never there at all.

"Yeah, well. What was I supposed to do?" Jason wipes his hands off on his pants.

"You gotta learn to relax, J." Vaas mumbles, and Jason feels his face drain of colour.

"Don't you ever fucking call me that again." Jason sneers, and Vaas stares at him in surprise for a moment before his face sets in anger.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, white boy." 

 _Why did I ever think things would change_ , Jason thinks, but Grant is already answering it for him. _Because you're too soft, J, you always were._

Jason isn't so sure he is, there's enough smears of blood along the docks to prove his brother wrong, but the pirate is still staring and he feels unable to to escape the fact that he truly wanted things to change. Something about the other man makes him question himself more than anything else ever could.

"Don't forget who saved you." Jason says slowly, and Vaas' face twists at the words.

"I never fucking _asked_ for you to fucking _save_ me!" Vaas shouts, his voice echoing between the boats. "What makes you even _think_ I needed saving to begin with, huh? California boy?"

"Oh, I don't know." Jason hisses between clenched teeth. "It could have been you sleeping like a dog in a pile of sheets, too fucking sick to do anything besides bleed."

 _There. There it is._ Jason thinks. _There's that fire._

Because the look on Vaas' face is explosive, like before all of this, the expression that is both safe and unsafe, familiar, and Jason clings to it.

_This is better._

Vaas' posture is strained, like he's ready to charge for Jason, and Jason mimics his posture.

"Who's there?" They suddenly hear someone yell, and of course. They've been so busy screaming at each other to think about where they are.  
  
Jason stares at Vaas, whose expression has gone from fury to something that almost looks like amusement. His eyes are glittering playfully as he stares at Jason, his anger diminished.

"Who's there!?" The privateer repeats, moving towards them with his gun raised. He hasn't seen them yet, but they have their backs against the boat, cornered.

Without a word Vaas charges for Jason, hooking his arm around Jason's waist before pulling them both backwards into the cold water.

The impact is enough to knock the air of Jason as their bodies are submerged, and for a second all he can see are the air bubbles around them and his own hands, the dull light from the boats not breaking through the water to where they are. Vaas' arm is still around his waist, the heat from his skin burning through him.

He's pulling them both under, his feet pushing off the bottom, and they glide through the water.

Jason grabs a hold of Vaas' hand, tries to pry it off, but Vaas just holds on tighter, moving faster, his fingers digging into Jason skin

Just as he's about to start digging his own fingers painfully into the pirate to break free, something moves through the water in front of them. It hits the bottom, stirring up sand and rocks as it does, and Jason realizes the privateers are shooting after them.

Vaas steers them towards the wall of the cave, breaking the surface with a small gasp. Jason's lungs burns as he tries not to cough, not wanting to alert the privateers that are shouting something in the distance.

"Quick." Vaas says, his face set in firm determination as they move towards the exit. "Come on, before they start up their boats or something."

They swim out of the cave just as they hear boats roaring up in the distance and Vaas gets out of the water, reaching his hand out to help Jason up. For a second Jason hesitates, and Vaas grins.

"Come on white boy. Have I ever given you any reason not to trust me?"

Jason's about to say something, but he can't help snickering at Vaas' disarming smile. It seems the pirate has completely forgotten about what happened in the cave.

_Times sure have changed, haven't they little brother?_

He isn't sure if his brother's voice is being sarcastic or angry, but he wraps his fingers around Vaas' hand none the less, and together they start moving into the jagged mountainside and out of view.

"Think they'll find the explosives?" Jason says under his breath, but Vaas just shakes his head.

"I doubt it. Too fucking stupid."

Jason ducks down behind some rocks as three small boats exit the cave, each of them going in different directions. Vaas must have been right, because none of them thinks to check the mainland, just disappears off into the ocean.

Vaas leans back into the grass, hands behind his head as he stares up at the stars above them.

Jason regrets not parking a car nearby, but if this island is anything like the north one, then they shouldn't be hard to find. Not that they are too far away from the bunker anyway.

He checks his phone. Sam isn't gonna contact them until noon, but he still feels a kind of worry for the lonesome agent. Things didn't go too well for the two of them, and he shudders to think what Sam could encounter on his own. He should give the agent some credit though, he didn't survive this island for so long if he wasn't good at it. Not to mention he probably would have done this a lot more smoothly without the pirate there to pester him.

"We should head back to the bunker." Jason yawns, brushing Vaas' arm with his fist, but Vaas just lifts an eyebrow as he looks at him.

"Why? It's fucking nice here, hermano." Vaas says, fishing his battered pack of cigarettes out of his pants, shaking water off them with a grin.

And it is. There's not a cloud in the sky, the stars above them bright. There's a bit of a breeze, but not enough to chill them, not even with the wet clothes. Even if any of the privateers came looking, they are hidden in between rocks and bushes. It still disturbs him how Vaas can feel so relaxed and at ease like this. Just laying down in the grass for a cigarette right after being shot at. 

But that was always Jason's problem, wasn't it? He'd fill his time with anything he could, because as soon as he didn't his mind would start wandering. So just to prove himself wrong he leans back next to Vaas, finding some weird comfort in the heat from the pirate's shoulder.

They lie in comfortable silence for a while, and Jason finds himself relaxing despite his own objections.

"When are we leaving tomorrow?"

"I dunno." Jason closes his eyes. "Sam said he'd contact us around noon, then I guess we wait for the sun to start setting."

"So this time tomorrow we'll be done, huh?" Vaas says as he blows a column of smoke into the air.

Jason nods, eyes still closed. He hasn't thought about it like that. That they'll ever be done. That he'll ever be anywhere else than on this island, chasing someone to kill or someone to save. Vaas' thoughts must take a similar route, because he laughs softly into the night.

"Tomorrow we fucking fight, hermano."

Jason opens his eyes, staring into the night with a frown.

"Tomorrow we fight." He confirms, although the thought makes him oddly uneasy.

 

* * *

 

Sam makes a sharp turn, and the terrain changes from uneven to smooth and even though he can't see a thing, he guesses they are on the bridge. He hates admitting it, but he's nervous.

They hear mumbling voices, no doubt the bridge control, before Sam drives on. The cargo truck moves relatively smoothly on the road, but Jason still feels like he's on a roller-coaster, his heart felt like it's bouncing between his throat and his collarbone.

"You ready?" Vaas whispers, his breath warm against Jason's neck.

Jason closes his eyes for a second before answering.

"No." He admits. "But I don't think I'll ever be."

In the half-darkness he can't really see much of Vaas, but he still feels the pirate's eyes on him. The truck does another sharp turn and they bump into each other, Vaas steadying himself by putting a warm hand on Jason's thigh.

"What about you? Are you ready?" Jason starts, trying to smooth things over as Vaas moves his hand awkwardly.

The truck comes to a stop before Vaas has a chance to respond. They stay silent as they hear footsteps around the truck, and Jason holds his breath as someone opens the vinyl covering.

"Coast is clear." Sam says, glancing quickly around him.

They are in the compound. Actually inside Hoyt's compound and they scramble out of the truck. Sam doesn't look nervous, but he looks serious as he speaks.

"Remember, last cell on your right. We'll detonate the first bomb in..." He glances at his watch with a frown. "... Five minutes, then the second one fifteen minutes after that."

"Sounds good." Jason double-checks his gear before looking up. "You be careful."  
  
It was meant for both of them, but he finds himself looking at Vaas as he says it.

"We'll be fine." Sam answers, Vaas doesn't say anything, just stares at Jason, pale eyes unreadable.

For a moment it's like he can't tear himself away from Vaas' gaze, their eyes fixed together. He isn't ready for this. He isn't ready to be on his own again, and he wonders briefly if Vaas feels the same way.  
  
Vaas breaks the spell by turning as Sam motions for him to follow him, casting one last lingering glance before they turn the corner.

 

* * *

 

He tries not to sneak around the corners as he makes his way towards the main building. Vaas and Sam are the ones taking the biggest risk, but right now, walking towards where his brother is, it doesn't feel that way.

He looks like any other privateer, but it still feels wrong, like he's sticking out like a sore thumb. It doesn’t look like the other privateers think he's anything out of the ordinary, some even give him a slight upwards nod as they pass him.

It feels strange being alone again, like he's had his legs tied together for so long he finally got used to it, and now has to find a way to move the way he's supposed to.

There's a single guard standing in front of the double doors leading into the main building and he puts a hand out as Jason comes closer.

"Hoyt is busy, beat it." He doesn't even bother looking at Jason, just grunts the order.

The satellite blows up right on cue.

Even though he expected it, the explosion is still powerful enough to make Jason flinch as it resonates to where they are standing. It only takes a second before confused and angry shouting fills the air as the explosion dies down.

The guard grabs his walkie-talkie as he runs back into Hoyt's building, no longer caring about Jason, who's free to go in.

The building could have been anything. The wide doors leads into a spacious vestibule with cream and green coloured walls. It could have been a doctor's office or maybe the waiting room for a law firm. It's outdated, but not horribly so. Strangely homely in fact, and he stares around him in surprise. There's no doubt that it's really Hoyt's headquarters, there are large stacks of what must be drugs on every free surface, including most of the floor space, yet the building confuses him. The patrolling privateers must be antsy, they keep staring out the windows, fingers on the gun twitching.

Jason strolls through them, taking Sam's advice and just acting like he's supposed to be there, and it seems to work.

The room with the staircase leading down into the basement is less inviting than the others, just grey cement walls. He ducks down the stairwell just as he hears Hoyt coming down into the vestibule. The harshness of his words further emphasized by his accent.

"I don't _care_ what you're doing! Get to the satellite dish, you morons!"

Jason doesn't waste time, just walks briskly down the stairs.

It's dark down there, and smelly. The same grey cement walls, with cheap wooden bookshelves stuffed with random items. No doubt what's left of the prisoners personal belongings.

He tries not to think too much of the tragedies behind them, tries not to think how tragic it is, how pathetic it is when all that's left from a life is a stuffed teddy bear or a beaten old camera. Worse still that these items have no value. They'll probably either be used to blackmail mourning parents or lovers, or buried along with the bodies. Buried like trash.

_I wonder where Grant is._

It's not like he hasn't thought about that before, but it hits him again down here. Everything feels more immediate below. Even if they get out of here, even if they somehow survive, he won’t be able to bring Grant back. He'll be left here forever.

Jason shakes his head like that's enough to shake his thoughts and feelings. Guilt overpowering him as he tries not to make eye contact with the people behind bars, tries to hide the look on his face as he crinkles his nose at the smell.

If fear has a smell, this must be it.

He vaguely remembers something about fear and its effects of body odours, but it soon disappears from his mind as he sees a TV-screen with flickering images of all of them in Bangkok.

The TV-version of himself has his back to the camera, shouting "I'm the king of the world!".Jason squirms and keeps his head low as he passes the few guards there. He can't remember if the videos they shot show his face or not, but he better not risk it.

It's more than just that though. He feels like the person on the TV-screen is someone else. Someone younger. Someone without a clue and without any real depth. He doesn't recognize that person anymore, and looking at him feels uncomfortable. So instead he stares at the cells, stares at that final door with worry etched on his face.

_Last cell on the right, last cell on the right, last cell on the right._

It's like a mantra, and he keeps repeating it over and over as he walks towards it. As he gets closer to the cell he starts getting light headed. What if Riley isn't there? What if he's dead? What if the pirate lied to him all along?

His heart starts racing as he reach the final cell, putting his hands on the bars before he has the nerve to look inside it.

 


	10. Chapter 10

Riley is tied to a chair, his head hanging low, like he's asleep or too exhausted to keep it upright.

_Or like he's dead._

Jason opens the door carefully, casting one last glance at the patrolling privateers before entering the cell.

Riley is still wearing that blue shirt Grant got him, and Jason feels a pang of guilt and sadness when he sees. It's almost as bloody as Jason's own shirt was before he swapped it for the privateer's clothing. The shirt is torn near his shoulder, a jagged hole where Vaas must have shot him. Jason clenches his teeth when he sees, inwardly cursing Vaas. Yet. It really is Riley. And he's breathing. Still breathing. Vaas didn't lie at all.

"Riley?" He whispers, reaching a hand out to ruffle through his brother's messy black hair.  
  
Riley flinches and groans, shying away from his hand as he lifts his head. Nausea rolls over Jason as he sees his little brother's face, dried blood caked around his nose and brow, bruises forming around his eyes.

"Riley, oh God, let me get you out of here."

Riley is still staring at him like he can't believe he's really there.

"Jason?" He croaks, pawing weakly at Jason's arm when he unties his hands. "Why are you wearing that?"

"That's the detail you're gonna focus on?" Jason says in a hushed voice, but he still smiles widely in relief before getting the spare privateer uniform out of his backpack. Riley is alive. But not just alive, alive enough to forget about the big picture. "Here, put this on."

"Where's Grant?"

"We'll talk about that later, just hurry." Jason struggles to keep his voice neutral. It looks like Riley wants to say something, but he stays quiet as he starts undressing. Jason tries not to stare at the bullet wound on his shoulder, tries not to let the anger overwhelm him, turning instead to keep a look-out.

The other bomb is gonna go off at any time now, creating more of a diversion so they can get out. He shouldn't let his own anger be more important than that.  

Jason licks his dry lips as he stares out into the room. Minutes seemingly stretch on for hours, but nothing breaks the silence. No bomb. No nothing. He glances at his phone. It was supposed to go off eight minutes ago, but he hasn't heard a single thing. At first he tries to rationalize it, maybe he just didn't hear it, maybe they are too far underground. And maybe they are.

But it bothers him that none of the guards down here seem to be worried or aware of a thing, their walkie-talkies dead silent, and Jason gets the nagging sensation that something has gone horribly wrong. 

There aren't enough guards down here to really cause a problem though, and with the uniforms they might be able to stroll right out of here anyway.

"Come on." He finally says, adjusting the bandana over his younger brothers face. "Just act like you belong."

The thought is amusing. Riley has always been the quiet and careful one of the three brothers, and asking him to blend in with a pack of mercenaries is ridiculous. Like asking a zebra to go blend in with lions. But Riley just nods, and they walk out of the cell together.

It must have been a while since Riley had been able to stretch his legs because his gait is awkward as they pass the TV again, garbled bits of their conversations bleeding into each other. Riley freezes as he hears his own voice in the mix.

_"He's not coming to my pilot ceremony next month."_

Jason turns his head, smiling apologetically as he motions for his brother to walk faster.

_I've really been a shit brother, haven't I?_

No point in dwelling on it. Part of him wants to fix it, keep the promises he made earlier about being a better brother as long as Riley was alive. Another part of him wants to stay at the island. Stay with Citra in her temple and leave his old life behind. If he's able to save his friends and brother, then that would be okay, right? He would have made his penance, and be free.

"So what's the plan now?" Riley hisses behind him as they make their way up the staircase, his voice muffled by the bandana over his mouth.

"We make a break for it. There's an airport not far from here."

Ignoring his brothers hushed complaints and reservations he guides them back up to the surface.

 

* * *

 

The privateers are running around, clearly disoriented, yelling commands and profanities to each other. Jason glances quickly around him as they walk, trying to get a glimpse of Vaas or Sam, but they are nowhere to be seen. He tries to convince himself that it's not necessarily a bad sign. It's not like they would be out in the open much anyway.

Next to him Riley is sweating, big droplets running down what little Jason can see of his face. The jungle has taught Jason well, his face set as stone as they walk, but Riley is still Riley, his big eyes darting around. He looks like a caged animal, and Jason nudges him.

"You're a privateer now, act like it."

It's pretty clear that Riley could never be an actor, he scrunches his brow up like some comical Clint Eastwood impersonator and stares stiffly around like he's looking for someone to fight. Still, it's better than his frightened doe expression, so Jason just chuckles and keeps walking.

It hits him that he must seem like Grant now. Back in the bamboo cage Grant had seemed in control, powerful. Unfazed as he killed to get them out. He hadn't been envious of Grant, not exactly, but envious of his ability to keep a clear head. And here he is. Guiding his little brother to safety just like Grant had. The tightness is back in his chest and he has to control himself not to pull Riley in for a hug.

His jaw sets as they get closer to one of the big red gates, holding his breath as they walk through. He tries not to, but his brain is conjuring up all the ways this could go wrong.

_The guard at the gate could refuse to let us leave. Either shooting us in the back or force us back to Hoyt. Or maybe, just maybe, the car Sam parked outside the compound is gone._

But the guard doesn't react as they stroll through, the car exactly where Sam said he left it.

"Is that it?" Riley hisses through his teeth, and Jason nods as he checks the sky behind them.

There's still smoke coming from the satellite in the distance, but no sign of the second explosion. It makes him uneasy as this means something definitely went wrong. Maybe the best thing to do would be to go back to the compound and find Vaas. Find Sam.

But looking at his little brother, he knows he can't stop. Not now. Not until Riley is safe.

So despite the ache in his bones, the tightening feeling in his chest, he reaches the car, opens it and motions for Riley to get in next to him. His hands shake as he reaches for the key that's already in the ignition, pausing briefly before he turns the key, the engine roaring to life. His eyes doesn't leave the rear-view window as they speed off.

 

* * *

 

"You know I can't fly a helicopter, right?" Riley voice gets louder as he stares in horror at the helicopter in front of them.

"How different can it be from a plane?"  
  
Actually, Jason doesn't really know, but it seems about right. A car isn't that far off a boat, right?

_Right._

He finally has to push Riley in through the helicopter doors. It was easy enough to get into the airport. The privateers didn't even lift an eyebrow as they parked their car and strolled casually across the place. Who knew getting his brother into the very thing that will get them out would be the hardest part? Taking off will be a different matter all together though. They are bound to rise suspicion once they do.

Riley seems stunned, staring at the control panel with wide eyes.

"Jason, I really..." His fingers trails the unfamiliar buttons and levers, the frightened doe expression back on his face.

"Just go, Riley!"

Jason positions himself by the chain gun, staring at the row of privateers patrolling the entrance to the airport. He hears Riley cursing silently in the cockpit as he flicks levers and checks panels, but he ignores him for now, his hands firm around the gun. The rotors start up above them, lazily at first, before picking up speed.

As expected that gets the attention of the privateers. A few of them points and shouts something, while others just start running towards them, waving their hands. They aren't aware who they are, at least not yet, but they sure as Hell aren't happy either.

"Riley...!" He doesn't have to finish the sentence before Riley gets them up in the air. Shakily so, but they are in the air and on their way.

A few of the privateers have gotten their guns out, and Jason aims the chain gun at them, pondering for a minute if it's gonna be worth it. Maybe they will assume they are privateers on duty, but the rifle shot whizzing past his left ear changes his mind.

The chain gun awakens under his fingers, it's hard to control, but very effective, the men below him falling like dominoes.

As they start moving from view he sees a few of them racing to their cars, a bigger group starting up the other helicopters, and Jason's stomach sinks when he realizes they should have sabotaged the helicopters before taking off. Too late for that though, and he bares teeth as he sends bullet after bullet into the steel machines following them.

At first he feels like he's taking potshots at tanks, the bullets seems to do no damage, just bouncing uselessly off the sides. Jason curses, focusing all his firepower on the nearest helicopter, spreading the fire out to hopefully find a weak spot.

He must find it, because the helicopter explodes like fireworks in the sky and Jason can't help but scream out in victory. Riley turns around to look at him, fear painting every part of his face white.

It looks as if he's about to say something, he opens and closes his mouth without a word, like a fish out of water, before he finally just turns back around, maneuvering the helicopter through the spray of bullets. Jason should be frightened, should feel at least some anxiety at the bullets tinking off the side of the helicopter, sometimes dangerously close to his head, but he's not. Adrenaline rushes through him and there's not enough room for anything else.

One of the helicopters gets close enough for Jason to make out the faces of the privateers in it, and he grabs a grenade from his belt. Their faces twists in panic and fear, time slowing down as he tosses the grenade into the cockpit. They try to swerve away, but it's too late. The grenade goes off, a dull thud and an ever duller light and then it falls from the sky.

Everything moves and behaves differently, like he's back in Vaas' warehouse. It's almost happening in slow motion now, Jason's senses on overdrive, not even aware that he's screaming as the third helicopter crashes in the mountainside below them.

Riley must be aware, because he keeps doing sharp drops, like Jason is scaring him. And as he pumps more bullets into the helicopters, laughing as they crash together and explodes, he realizes that it must be disturbing to anyone spared of the brutality of the jungle.

He doesn't have time to ponder too much about it, because the ground below them suddenly sparks. For a fleeting moment he thinks the lights below them are from the two helicopters spiraling down in flames, but as he looks down there's a chain reaction of explosions coming from Hoyt's compound.

 _Vaas!_  
  
Jason is suddenly trapped inside his own head, mind going blank with terror. The explosions at the compound weren't set to go off for at least another half hour and his heart goes cold when he understands the implications.

There's a slight pause before the earth below them shatters and shakes, a devastating explosion tearing through the silence in Jason's mind, what's left of the compound disappearing in a bright light.

 


	11. Chapter 11

The explosion is blinding, lightning up the sky like fireworks, and Jason isn't even aware he's shouting until the cracking sound of fire and explosions die out beneath them.

"Riley! I need to get down there! I need to go back!"

"What? Why!?" Riley yells, staring wide-eyed at him for a second before staring back out the window in front of him.  
  
Jason still has his hands on the the chain gun, his palms clammy and cold.

"Just find a place to fucking land, Riley!"

Riley mumbles something, but he's following directions now, carefully landing on the road near the shore. The compound is hidden behind the jagged mountains, but there's a thick, black column of smoke snaking it's way up the sky. Jason is almost out of the helicopter before it lands, hoisting his backpack further up as he folds the map out on the helicopter floor.

"The others are here, Riley! Find Dr. Earnhardt. He'll lead you to the cave!" He's tapping his fingers frantically on the map, ignoring the conflicting thoughts inside his own head. Is he even doing the right thing? Shouldn't he be protecting Riley?

Looking around though, he know's Riley is safe. They are right on the edge of the island, and he shot down all the helicopters he saw. Riley should be perfectly safe flying over to the north island.

_But is there any point to this? You saw the explosion J, there's no way he survived._

Jason clenches his teeth again, staring into his younger brother's face, who in turn is looking at him like he's lost his mind. And who knows, maybe he has.

"Dr. Earnhardt? Cave? Jason, are you alright?"

"It sounds crazy, I know. Just do it, okay? It's a mansion, you can't miss it."  
  
Riley stares wide-eyed at the map, lips tensed in frustration, but he nods.

"Dr. Earnhardt. Mansion. Cave. Got it."  
  
Jason feels a rush of affection towards his younger brother, and he pulls him in for a crushing hug.

"I'm sorry I haven't been here for you, Riley. I will be. I just need to do this."  
  
Riley doesn't answer, just nods, his face twisted with emotion.

"I told Daisy where to meet us, just..." Jason taps the map again. "I'll be at Turtle Hill."  
  
Riley clings to his hand for a moment as they part, but he lets go as Jason gets his gun out. Jason makes no attempts to move, just stares at his brother as he climbs back into the helicopter.

"Be careful, Jason!" Riley calls out as he starts the engine, the rotor blades whipping up the dust around them.

"You too, little brother!" Jason calls, holding his hand up as the helicopter lifts up from the ground and disappear in the horizon.

He holds his breath until the helicopter is safely out of sight and he lets the air out with a wheezing sound. Then he turns towards the column of smoke in the distance, heart beating wildly in his chest.

 

* * *

 

If he got their location right, then there's a base nearby. Bases means cars. It had a silly name, like Casanova or something, and he follows the road, half-jogging, eyes still on the smoke.

_Dammit Vaas... You were supposed to be careful._

The explosives in the compound weren't supposed to go off like this. Vaas and Sam was supposed to have enough time to get out, and Jason wonders what might have gone wrong.

_It might be okay. Maybe they just had a change of plans._

But it's not enough to convince or comfort him.

At least he remembered the map right, because he can see buildings in the distance, and the welcomed sight of cars.

He starts running, not even caring when his footsteps alerts the patrolling privateers. Frantic now, not skipping a beat as his knife finds flesh, stabbing every privateer in his way as he heads for the nearest truck. It would have been faster just using the wingsuit from the helicopter, faster still if he had sabotaged the other helicopters, but it's too late for regrets. Right now he just needs to get over to the compound as soon as he can.

If Vaas is alive, then he needs to find him.

_There's no way he's alive, J._

"He's alive." Jason snaps, slamming the car door so hard it makes the whole car shake a little. "He's alive." He repeats, less angry this time.

He ignores the shouting from the privateers behind him, just skids off, not even aware that he's baring his teeth in anger as he slams the dashboard with his fist, cursing the island, cursing the privateers, cursing the horrible roads as he almost swirls off it.

There's at least three cars after him now, probably minutes away from turning on each other as well. They keep trying to hit him, and he ducks down when the window behind him is shattered by a spray of bullets.

_Fuck._

The only map he had is now hopefully halfway across the ocean with Riley, but he doesn't need it. He follows the smoke, glancing at it as he tries to stay on the road. A part of him curses the fact that he hasn't seen any of the Rakyat out on the roads. He could have used the help.

_Or the distraction._

He grabs a grenade from his belt, using his teeth to pull the pin out before tossing it out the car window. The privateers in the car behind him all shout, trying to dodge the grenade to no avail. The explosion almost seems to push Jason on further, and he laughs and shouts into the steering wheel, still ducked down to avoid the bullets.

A glance in the rear-view mirror confirms what he already knows. One of the cars got the full blast of the grenade, but the flaming debris is holding off the others. He doesn't slow down though, racing across the roads so fast it almost feels as if he's flying.

He turns a bend, and he can finally see one of the four rivers that divide the island, and he's suddenly able to smell the smoke. It's thick and all-consuming, but he doesn't slow down, driving up the final hill with his heart racing as fast as the car.

As he reaches the top he's able to see further, and his heart sinks when he sees the carnage in front of him. If he didn't knew better he'd say he got the place wrong.

The power of the explosion was huge, Jason knew that much coming here, but nothing could have prepared him for this. The car comes to a screeching halt before the bridge.  
The big red gates are still there, but that's about it. There's no more compound. whatever Vaas and Sam did, they did it right.

He's breathless as he exits the car, staring at what's left with both terror and awe. The smoke is dying down as well, it's turning white over his head as he draws closer.

His grip on the gun doesn't ease up, his stomach churning as he steps over the charred remains of one of the guards patrolling the bridge. It's hard to believe the activity that was here just half an hour ago, the place is dead and empty as he enters through the gates.

The dead he comes across are burned beyond recognition and panic is starting to build up somewhere in his chest. It's a sickening panic, ice cold and hot at the same time, waves of nausea rushing over him for every body he crosses. Would he be able to recognize Vaas like this? Would he somehow just _know_ if he finds him? He stares at a body by his feet. The skin is burned off his face, just a row of teeth to identify whoever he was, and Jason comes to the sickening realization that he won't be able to.

If Vaas is here, then he is indeed lost forever.

Jason stops, just stares at what's left of the main building. Hoyt's office is buried under rubble, scavenger birds already picking at what's left. The heat is unbearable, the ground still smoldering, small specs of ashes catching on to the wind around him. The stench of fire and death is overpowering, but Jason doesn't move.

This is what he wanted, isn't it? Hoyt and Vaas dead, his brother safe. That's all he wanted. He kicks the dying ember, not even wincing as the heat registers.

"Quite a boom, ja?"

Jason spins around, surprised to find Sam standing behind him. There's burns on the left side of his face, but he looks relatively unharmed.

"Sam! What happened? Where's..." He doesn't finish.

"Hoyt... He was on to us. Like he knew." Sam swipes the area. "The satellite went off as planned, but the bomb at the shipping yard didn't."  
  
Jason stares at the burning rubble. Maybe the privateers _did_ find the explosives strapped to the boats. Maybe they messed things up more than they thought. Or at least more than _he_ thought. Somehow he doubts Vaas had given it another thought after they left that cave.

"It all went to scheisse after that."

"Where's Vaas?" Jason tries to keep his voice neutral again, but he speaks too fast, with too much worry in his voice to fool Sam. There's a ghost of a smile on Sam's lips as he looks at Jason, his eyes mild.

"I wish I could tell you." He sighs, and he suddenly looks older as he stares out into nothing. "We got separated, there were too many privateers. Last I saw he was headed for Hoyt's office. And then..." Sam spreads his arms out, but Jason is still unable to take in the destruction of the place.

"What happens now?" Jason asks, but Sam just shrugs.

"I'm done here. I'll move on. The privateers left on the island won’t have much to work with." He smiles. "We finally took him down, Jason." He extends his hand, showing Jason the chain that used to be around Hoyt's neck.

The smile plastered across Jason's face feels mask-like and insincere, but Sam doesn't seem to notice. It feels like a hollow victory.

 _There's nothing here for me_ , Jason thinks, _There's nothing left._

They exchange pleasantries, promises to catch up in the _real world_ , but Jason wonders if there's any normalcy left for him anywhere.  
  
With a handshake they part ways.  
  
Turning his back on the compound, he tries not to think, ignoring the stinging in his eyes and the burn in his lungs.


	12. Chapter 12

_"You know I can do that myself, right?"_ _Vaas sounds amused as he stares up at Jason, his lips quirked slightly._  
  
_"I know that, but I'm still the one with the syringes. Besides, you weren't taking that great care of yourself when I found you." Jason says, motioning for Vaas to take his shirt off. He says it carefully, unlike in the cave, not meant as an insult this time. Vaas must understand, because he obliges without protest._  
  
_It's not like Jason is an expert. His only experience in the matter was when their dog back home got hit by a car, and they had to tend it at home after the surgery. Still, he feels better equipped to deal with it than Vaas. Which is probably not even true, come to think of it. Vaas must have dealt with worse things, judging by the jagged scar along his forehead, yet Jason still feels obligated in some way to at least make sure the infection hasn't gotten any worse._  
  
_Vaas doesn't wince as he starts taking his bandage off, which is a good sign._  
__  
It feels strangely intimate as Jason leans down to inspect the wounds, surprised to find the edges clean and the infections gone.  
  
_"That's amazing." He whispers, brushing careful fingertips against Vaas' skin. His skin is smooth and warm and Vaas jolts at the contact and stares down at Jason in surprise._  
  
_"What is? He asks, and Jason suddenly feel uncomfortable being so close to him._  
  
At least he has the advantage of having his back to the sun, Vaas wont be able to see the look on his face.   
  
_"Your wounds. I thought they would be festering by now, but it looks great." He packs his syringes away. "This is some potent stuff."_  
  
_Vaas smiles again. The sun hits his face, making him squint against the light. It makes him look more like a human being. Something Jason seems to be forgetting at times. He looks better now too, the circles around his eyes are no longer as pronounced and his face no longer ashen._  
  
_"You a nurse or something?"_  
  
_Jason smiles as he stares at the wounds and shakes his head._  
  
_"Nope. Just watch a lot of TV, I guess."_  
  
_Vaas snorts and pulls his shirt back on, not even bothering with the bandages anymore._ _There's still about five hours until Sam will contact them, but Jason is too riled up to get any sleep, and by the look of it, so is Vaas. So they stay there, leaned against the wall like last time, staring out at the water. Their guns and ammo are lined up inside the bunker, ready to go. Nothing to do now, except wait._  
  
_"What will you do after Hoyt is gone?" Jason glances over at Vaas, catching the flicker of emotion crossing the pirate's face._  
  
_"Haven't thought about it." He says coolly, but Jason knows he's lying. He doesn't say anything to it though, he lets Vaas keep whatever he feels he needs to hide._  
  
_"I do know this though, white boy. I'll meet you back here when we're done." Vaas grins, flashing teeth as he leans forward, resting his arms over his knees. "I'_ _ll be waiting for you."_

 

* * *

 

  
The roads are empty and silent on this side of the island. The privateers must have reached the compound by now, maybe finally understanding the full impact of what's happened. But Jason no longer thinks about Hoyt or the privateers, just keeps replaying that last sentence over and over in his head.

 _I'll be waiting for you._  
  
He isn't sure how fast his friends will get the boat up and running, but he's headed for Turtle Hill all the same. He tries to convince himself that it's not some fragile hope that Vaas really is there, waiting for him. There's a childish need to just run away from it all. Just run until his legs give out, but he's on an island and he'll just circle around like the looping thoughts in his head. 

_...Waiting for you._

So Turtle Hill it is. Even if his friends aren't there, he just wants to sleep. For the first time in a long while he's looking forward to getting away from this place.

 _This place is hell, this place is a tomb, this place is..._  
  
It doesn't matter what it is. He'll leave it behind. Go back to California, where the only things he need to worry about is what to do next. Skydiving? Snowboarding? Diving? It wont even matter. They'll all go back to their lives, maybe he'll even be able to patch things up with Liza. Make things comfortable and predictable again.  
  
_What about Citra?_  
  
Grant's voice sounds flat in his head.  
  
"I don't know." Jason admits, smiling when he realize he's taken to talking out loud. He did want her. Wanted those pale blue eyes to look at him like he looked at her. But it all feels inconsequential now.  
  
For a while it was like he could have lived a lifetime in the past few days, the north island seems more like a distant memory than a place he can return to. The sinkhole is back in his chest, and he chews on the inside of his cheek until he draws blood, trying to distract himself from the horrible realization that he's gonna miss Vaas. Maybe they could have been friends. In another life they might have been. Instead he's buried in a mass grave with Hoyt. Like trash, for carrion-eaters to feast on.  
  
_Two birds with one stone._  
  
Jason clenches his teeth together, wanting to tell Grant to shut up, it's not like he understands it anyway. But he doesn't, because he doesn't even understand it himself.  
Hoyt the tyrant and Vaas the psychopath, finally defeated. He should feel relieved, triumphant. Happy. But he doesn't. And he isn't.  
  
The map is with Riley, so he drives blindly, not thinking as he follows the river, then the ocean, then the rolling hills. Not even aware that he's right by the bunker until he turns the engine off.  _It's not because of Vaas_ , he argues again. _It just makes sense this way_. It's where he told Daisy he'd be, so it does, right?

He can barely make it out at first, the world has grown darker around him on his drive back and the trees hides it further. For a second he wonders if it's there at all. Without delay he stumbles out of the car, leaving the car door open as he crosses the small path over to the bunker, breathing out as he sees the outline of it.  
  
It's a welcomed sight.  
  
He realizes it was a good idea to come here. Not because of his brother and friends, not because of Vaas, but because he needs something familiar right now, to counteract the sudden emptiness in his chest.  
  
The small opening they've used as a door is dark, and he climbs through it. It's dark inside, darker than the outside, and he lets his eyes adjust before looking around. It's empty, like expected, but his heart still sinks.  _If the boat is fixed, then maybe they'll be able to come here before dawn_ , Jason desperately clings to that hope, because he's not looking forward to being alone. For real this time.  
  
Crossing the floor and starting on the staircase down, he wonders if Riley has made it over to the cave yet, or if he's lost somewhere too and he's just about to reach for his phone when a familiar voice greets him in the half-darkness.  
  
"Took you long enough, hermano."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for kudos and wonderful feedback. It really means a lot to me <3

* * *

 

Vaas must have been waiting for him, waiting for that exact moment to light a match. The flame illuminates his face in the darkness as he lights the lantern. The light is flickering over his face, a self-satisfied smirk plastered across it as he stands up. He looks unharmed, just some specs of ash stuck to the stubble on his scalp.

Jason doesn't say anything at first, his heart just beats faster as the pirate moves towards him. Because what can he say? He doesn't want to admit that his chest swells with relief and something strange he can't quite identify, or doesn't want to identify.

So he doesn't think about what he's doing as he lunges for the pirate, no real plan for what's he's about to do, not even sure if Vaas is really there. It almost surprises him when he feels the heat from Vaas' body as he grabs Jason midway, slamming his back against the wall.

Vaas does a short little breathless laugh, and Jason's heart sinks as he feels the pressure of a knife on his throat. He doesn't want to admit how disappointed he is, not even to himself. That would mean addressing that strange feeling in his chest, and he's not ready for that yet.

 _Jason..._ Grant starts, but his voice is drowned out by Vaas as he leans closer.

"A fight to the death, huh? You wanna fight? Hm? Just you and me, Snow White?" Vaas grins, his smiles wolfish and cruel.

And he's really there, not a figment of Jason's imagination. Vaas is alive.

His breath is warm against Jason's face, his grip firm over Jason's chest and arms. He smells of fire, like fighting, like sweat and blood and like nothing Jason has ever smelled, and he digs his hands into the fabric of Vaas' shirt, pulling him closer. Vaas' eyes glitter dangerously in the dim light, but he doesn't apply more pressure to the knife against Jason's throat.  
  
They stand like that for a moment. Frozen. Except they are both burning. Their eyes locked together, their breathing like harsh little pants. Vaas has Jason pinned to the wall, their bodies pressed painfully against each other.

He keeps telling his fingers to grab Vaas' arms, grab his knife, anything, but instead they just gather uselessly in the folds of Vaas' shirt as he tries to pull the pirate closer, wanting him closer than they already are.

"Just do it." Jason breathes, almost mirroring Vaas' earlier words. "End our fucking miseries. I wont fight you. Not anymore."

Vaas' smile fades as he searches Jason's face, tilting his head slightly.

It's always felt strange looking into the pirate’s eyes, too intimate, without Jason really knowing why. His stomach does a strange little flutter as a thick silence grows around them. Vaas seems unsure of himself for the first time, easing the pressure on Jason's neck.

"What do you want, white boy?" He whispers, but Jason finds himself unable to answer. He can't explain it. Can't explain this sudden urge to be close to Vaas, but he gives in to it as he leans towards the pirate.

The cool metal digs into his skin as he leans in, pressing his lips to Vaas'.  
  
His lips are surprisingly soft, softer still because of the unexpectedness of Jason's advances, and Vaas pulls away, baffled, looking like he wants to say something.

_He's gonna kill me._

Just when Jason is sure he's gonna slit his throat, the pirate drops the knife, pushing Jason harder against the wall instead, crushing his lips with his own.

"Jason." He breathes against Jason's lips, his hands trailing from his chest down his arms and he laces his fingers with Jason's, pressing his body closer, molding it to every curve.

Jason clings to the pirate, clings to every part of him he can, not even sure if he wants to hurt him or make him feel good. The heavy desire and longing inside his body primitive and overwhelming.

Vaas' feelings must match his own, because he tears wildly at Jason's uniform, licking and biting his neck as he slides his hands over Jason's body, settling on his hips, pulling them against his own with a grunt.

Jason gasps, eyes opening wide as their hips connect.

The friction between their hips makes Jason sink against Vaas, groaning against his temple, and Vaas looks up at him with parted lips, eyes dark and unreadable. His smile sly as he moves against Jason, drawing out whimpers and moans as their hips grind together.

He slides a hand under Jason's zipper, unzipping his uniform as he moves it down along Jason's chest and abdomen. It feels like his hand leaves a trail of fire in it's wake, and Jason moans against Vaas' mouth.

"That what you wanted??" Vaas murmurs, dipping his hand lower, his knuckles grazing the hardness in Jason's pants.

Jason's reaction is immediate, he gasps and jolts in Vaas' arms, not even registering when Vaas chuckles, not caring when Vaas starts mumbling in Spanish, hot, hot words spoken breathlessly in his ear.

He unzips the rest of his uniform effortlessly, and Jason kicks his boots off before stepping out of the fabric gathered around his ankles. The air feels chilly against his feverish skin, but he doesn't feel self-conscious, not even when Vaas makes no attempts to undress. Because Vaas is back in control now, pressing the curve of his chest against Jason's, his fingers digging into the firm flesh of Jason's hip.

"Vaas-" Jason starts, but he's unsure how to end the sentence. "- Please!"

Vaas tilts his head more, sucking and biting on Jason's neck as he dips down further, palming Jason's painful erection.

"Oh God...!" Jason can't stop the sounds coming from his mouth, but he doesn't care, not even when he feels Vaas smiling against his shoulder.

"You like that? Huh? You want more like that?" Vaas hisses, tangling his fingers in Jason's hair as he wraps his other hand around Jason's dick. He starts moving both hands at once, tugging at Jason's hair as he pumps his fist slowly. Agonizingly so, the movements doing nothing to quench the fire burning inside Jason's body.  

Jason whimpers, but when he tries to meet Vaas' movements with his own hips Vaas is right there to tug harder at his hair, stopping him.

Vaas' mouth is intoxicating, hot tongue licking Jason's lips as he whispers "Did you miss me?" Just like in the dream and _oh God_. It's like their bodies melt together as their tongues find each other again, the kiss deepening as Jason pants, feeling like he might disappear altogether. His whole body is aching, the sinkhole back, but different this time, different because it feels like Vaas is holding him together, while other parts of Jason disappears all together.

Jason whimpers against Vaas again, because it's not enough, not the pirate's lips on his, not the hand working between his legs and not the hand pulling on his hair.

Before Vaas can stop him, Jason drops down on his knees, pulling his pants down in the process. He doesn't care if this means he surrenders to Vaas, because in a way he already has. He halfway expects Vaas to pull him back up, but Vaas doesn't, instead tearing off his shirt before he buries his fingers in Jason's hair again. He doesn't pull or yank this time, just a gentle possessive touch, as if to show Jason he's still there, still in control.

Jason doesn't waste any time, desperate to feel Vaas in him, in any way possible, wrapping his mouth around the head of Vaas' dick. He hears the pirate's breath hitch above him, the fingers in his hair tightening.  

He's not able to sink all the way down his shaft, but Vaas still hisses appreciatively above him as he swirls his tongue around him. His hands trails from Vaas' chest, down to the sway of his back, around his hips, feeling every inch that he can before using one hand to pump his fist faster as he licks up and down the shaft, circling his tongue along the sensitive flesh.

"Fuck, Jason." Vaas murmurs softly, the fingers in his hair quivering slightly, like Vaas is trying not to pull his hair as Jason moves his tongue faster around him. The feeling of wanting the pirate as close as he can is still so overpowering, it's not like he can touch, smell or taste him enough. 

"Vaas..." Jason mumbles against Vaas, the vibrations from his voice making the pirate shudder. "Vaas... I need..."  
  
Vaas pulls him back up on his feet before he can finish the sentence, reclaiming his mouth in a hungry kiss, the intensity in which he caresses Jason almost terrifying.

Without a word he guides Jason backwards towards the bed, gently pushing him down as Jason reaches the edge of it. He whispers something in Spanish, making the hairs on Jason's neck stand on edge. He doesn't fully understand what he's saying, but he understands the meaning of them. Vaas climbs into the bed after him, moving like a predator, every movement slow and deliberate. His fingers digs further into the firm muscle of Jason's ass, yanking him closer. His head right over Jason's dick now, and he stares at Jason for a second, his smile sly and crooked as he sinks his head down towards it.

Jason can't help it, he starts raising his hips towards Vaas, all he can think about is getting that hot, hot mouth around him, but Vaas just chuckles as he slides his hands over Jason's thighs. He stops at Jason's hip, pushing him down against the mattress, holding him down as he moves closer. Each breath like electricity over Jason's aching flesh.

When Vaas' tongue finally connects, it's like Jason floats out of himself for a second, the sensation too much for his brain to comprehend.

Jason holds on to Vaas' head as the pirate's head drop lower, his mouth hot and wet around Jason's dick. Each part of his face perfect under his fingers, everything from his surprisingly soft mohawk, the sudden dip of his scar and the roughness of his stubble. He moves them further down, feeling the angle of Vaas' cheek bones, the hollow of his cheek as his head dips lower.

Vaas uses his hand to jerk Jason off as his tongue works around every inch of him, slicking his fingers in the process before sliding them lower. Jason didn't have any plans for what he wanted, and jolts in fear and surprise as Vaas presses a spit-slicked finger between his legs.

"Vaas, what are you...?" Jason starts, but it ends in a guttural moan as Vaas' mouth sinks all the way down on his dick, his finger pressing harder against him.

And it feels so good.

Jason digs his fingers in Vaas' mohawk, tries to savour every second of that hot mouth against the base of his dick. He relaxes against Vaas' finger, shuddering as it moves in him.

Vaas moans around Jason's dick, the sensation making Jason buck against him.

Just as Jason is getting used to the intrusion, Vaas adds another finger, quickening his pace as his tongue works Jason's dick faster. It's too soon, but he can feel the first few electric tingles of an orgasm in his spine, and he clings harder to the man between his legs.

"Vaas...! I'm...!"

It must have been what Vaas was waiting for, because he lifts his head up, letting go of Jason's dick in the process. Jason's about to complain when the pirate pulls him closer, making him turn around on his stomach as he removes his fingers.

He forces Jason up on all fours, his legs shaking as Vaas shifts behind him, rubbing his own erection teasingly between Jason's legs, his lips wet and parted, his whole face tensed in arousal. The feeling of his dick rubbing against him is unlike anything Jason's ever felt before, and he tries to relax under the pirate, moaning as Vaas starts moving against him.

The pirate is surprisingly gentle, his hands caressing Jason's lower back and hips as he presses himself harder against him, making Jason gasp as he starts inching into him.

He feels too big, and warnings goes off in Jason's mind. It's dulled down by the red-hot arousal that sparks up between his legs though, and he sinks down on his forearms, unable to keep himself up. He turns his head slightly so he can look at Vaas' face.

Vaas smiles, apparently taking great pleasure in watching the look on Jason's face, but his smile changes as his hips finally connects to Jason's, his mouth opening a little. For a second there's nothing but surprise on his face, but it changes as he starts moving against him.

It's more rocking than actual thrusting, but Jason still writhes under him as Vaas picks up his pace a little, hardening his grip around Jason's hips. He can't help himself, he bites on to his own arm as Vaas fucks him harder, making him cry out as he hits a spot in him that makes the world brighter.

Vaas doesn't stop, Jason's reaction seems to egg him on, and he places a strong hand on Jason's shoulder, pushing him further into the mattress below him as his thrusting intensifies. The other hand still on Jason's hip, and he pulls Jason back against his own thrusts, the world disappearing in overwhelming pleasure.

The only thing there is the way Vaas moves in him, Vaas' hands on him, his hoarse grunts as he fucks Jason and the tender skin on his inner arm. He loses who he is and what he's here to do, lost in Vaas' thrusts as he fucks him harder, Jason's body tensing up as Vaas digs his fingers harder into his back.

Just when he's convinced he's gonna come from Vaas' movements alone, Vaas pulls out, motioning for Jason to turn around.

"I wanna see you, Jason." Vaas whispers. "I wanna see you as I fuck you."

Jason obeys without protest; he simply moans as Vaas sinks back into him.

Vaas is sitting upright, giving Jason a full view of his muscular chest and abdomen as he does thrust after agonizing thrust into him, the sight of Vaas moving in him enough to make Jason squirm and moan under him.

He's still so far away though, and Jason digs into the pirate's forearm, trying to pull him down. And the pirate complies, leaning down enough for Jason to wrap his arms around his neck. Their muscles strained against each other as their lips meet again. It must be hard for Vaas to hold back; his forearms shake as they kiss, and Jason tries to inch closer against the long, slow thrusts.

Vaas smiles against his lips as he keeps his pace. A softer smile now as Jason wraps his arms around Vaas' back, holding him in place.

"I'm not going anywhere, Jason." Vaas pants, pressing his forehead to Jason's. "I'm not leaving."

But Jason still clings to him, clings to every part of him that he can, his whole body trembling as Vaas moves faster, each sliding stroke making him whimper.

The pirate groans against Jason's lips as he starts fucking him harder, the pumps from his pelvis shorter, harsher.

Jason slides his hands down from Vaas' shoulders, down his muscular shoulders, to the small of his back before he rests them on Vaas' hips. It still feels unreal, even as he feels the movements of Vaas pelvis as he moves in him, and he leaves his hands there, hands trembling as he tries to push him in faster and harder.

Vaas' eyes are intense in the dull light, like they can see straight through him, their lips meeting as Vaas fucks him faster.

"Jason..." He moans between kisses. "You're mine." His voice low and husky, and he repeats it desperately. "You're fucking  _mine_..."

A part of Jason wants to push him off, wants to prove him wrong. Prove that he isn't his, but he doesn't. Instead pulling the slaver, the pirate, _the killer_ closer, wrapping his arms harder around the other man as his thrusts intensifies. But that's unfair, isn't it? Jason is as much of a killer as Vaas is.  
They are the same now.

Everything he was and everything he could ever be disappearing as the pirate fucks him.

Each part of his body is raw and overly sensitive, like Vaas is hitting exposed nerves. And he must be as he angles his hips and hits that spot in Jason again that makes him cry out. Vaas leans back a little, supporting himself on his hands as he bares down harder in this new angle, his face soft and hard at the same time, his mouth gentle and inviting, his forehead furrowed in pleasure.

"Vaas..." Jason groans, his body on fire now, like he's close again, mind lost to everything but Vaas. Vaas' skin, lips, movements, the way his hands trails over Jason's body, the way he stares at Jason, and he moves his hips so he can meet Vaas' thrusts.

He changes the angle again, leans down enough for Jason's dick to rub between their bodies, the friction making Jason jolt and shudder against Vaas' lips.

Thinking back at all the times they've been close, like one long, agonizing foreplay, his body jerking as Vaas leans down to bite at his neck, his breath making Jason shiver as he whispers over the wet and reddening spots on his skin.

He starts tensing his body up before he's even realizing what's about to happen, his brain sending out confused signals as his spine is replaced by molten lava, Vaas' hot skin moving over his dick in a way that makes his head swim.

"I'm-" He tries to speak against the pirates lips, but Vaas just kisses him harder with crushing intensity, his thrusts bordering on painful. His breath catching as the first contractions starts somewhere deep in him. "Vaas...!"

But Vaas just continues, each pump from his pelvis sending Jason closer and closer over that edge, his toes actually curling now. His heart is beating so hard he's sure Vaas must be able to hear it, struggling to breathe, like there's not enough air in the room.

Jason throws his head back as he starts jolting, his dick pumping out release in thick, ropy spurts, more intensely than he's ever experienced before. His whole body is pulsing with heat. He can't be sure, but for a second it almost feels as if he's crying, the world around him suddenly making perfect sense. Suddenly he can see everything clearly and he puts his hands on Vaas' face, tries to focus on that perfect face above him, although his eyes tries to flutter shut.

Vaas' breath comes in harsher pants now, Jason's contractions enough to send Vaas over the edge as well, and as Jason rides out his orgasm, Vaas starts his own.

He presses his mouth against Jason's, moaning as his thrusts grow more desperate, pressing himself closer as his hips make a final shuddering thrust. He collapses on top of Jason, kissing every part of him he can reach, mumbling nonsensical endearments in both Spanish and English as he laces his fingers with Jason's. Every touch and caress feeding into Jason. Feeding into that treacherous parts of his brain that keeps pulling the pirate closer.

Surrendering in total, naked honesty to the man above him, not even recognizing himself as their kisses turn soft and lingeringly, no longer hidden behind the pretense of overwhelming lust.

Their embrace no longer desperate, but that of aching devotion. 


	14. Chapter 14

The lantern must have gone out during the night, because when Jason wakes up the room is dark.

For a second he can't understand why he's unable to get up. For a second it's like he can't remember, until it all comes crashing down. He closes his eyes tightly, but the reality of the situation still seeps through his closed eyelids.  
  
Vaas is sleeping with one arm wrapped possessively over Jason's chest. Even in sleep he tightens his grip as Jason tries to get up. It must be his imagination, but it's suddenly hard to breathe, Vaas' arm like a vice over his chest. The intimacy from the night before feeling constricting and all-consuming. Part of him wants to push Vaas aside, get that warm and heavy arm off, but instead he just lies there, staring at the sleeping pirate's face. His features are softened by sleep, and Jason gets that strange feeling back in the pit of his stomach, because another part of him wants to reach out and touch the pirate's face.

He's an actor in that movie again, floating out of reality. There's no way he'd surrender to his brother's killer so easily. No way he'd so willingly let a slaver manipulate and sleep with him. Yet here they are, their naked bodies pressed together, Vaas' skin soft against his chest. Jason's lips swollen and tender from Vaas' assaults, his body aching in a way he hasn't felt before. 

_But I did this. Not him._  
  
And that's the worst part, isn't it? Vaas didn't trick or manipulate him.  
_  
But maybe he did._  Jason pleads, even though he knows it isn't true. 

He lies in silence for a while, waiting for Grant to comfort him, but the words never come. Grants voice is lost to him. Lost in the noise of the moment, lost in the static in his head.

_Grant, please._ He pleads again, but all that's left is emptiness and nausea.  _Grant. Please understand. This doesn't mean I've abandoned you._

He tries to force himself to breathe slow and evenly, but it's coming out in harsh little pants, similar in a way to the ones last night, but vastly different. The contact feels unbearable now, worse by the second, and he inches carefully off the bed, sliding out of the embrace without waking the sleeping pirate.

Jason stands there in the middle of the floor, unable to move, like a deer in headlights. Still naked, still vulnerable, and still so lost.

He starts dressing, his fingers suddenly clumsy as he tries to zip it up with shaking hands. Waves of nausea flushing over him as he glares at Vaas, broken pieces of last night replaying over and over again.  
  
Vaas' lips on his, Vaas' body molded to his, Vaas' hands on his hips, pulling him closer.   
  
And every now and then flashing images of Grant. Vaas killing Grant. Jason holding on to his brother while his life ebbs out, hearing the pirate laugh somewhere in the distance. The knife sliding into Vaas' chest. And it's so vivid he can feel it. Actually  _feel_  his brother's warm blood pump over his hands.  _Feel_  the dagger sliding into Vaas without any resistance.  
  
_I could kill you right now,_  Jason clenches his teeth together, his fists balled so hard the wires of his tendons stretch across his skin. _I could kill you again._

Grant doesn't say anything to that either, and Jason's head feels oddly empty. He chews on his lip as he begs his brother to talk to him, but other thoughts keeps pushing in.

_I just let my brother's killer fuck me,_ and that thought is terrifying. He was so adamant about not letting Vaas in, not let the pirate get close to him, and now he'd let him in further than... Well, anyone.

_Literally,_ he thinks to himself, the sound escaping his lips something between a groan and a laugh. Vaas moves in his sleep, muttering softly in Spanish, and a deceitful part of Jason's mind wishes he had taken Spanish in school. 

The thought of Vaas as an ally or friend had been bad enough, but a lover? Jason brings his hands up to his temples, eyes not leaving the pirate in bed.

He'd be perfectly content just labeling last night as a crazy celebration for rescuing Riley and killing Hoyt, if not for that strange feeling in his chest as he searches Vaas' sleeping face. The night before he had been afraid to identify those feelings, now he was absolutely terrified to.

_I just need some air._

He casts one final look back at the sleeping pirate before he exits the room.  
 

* * *

  
Jason feels less trapped out in the cool night, the wind from the ocean giving him some much needed clarity.  
  
_He killed my brother._

Isn't that all he needs to know? Shouldn't he go back there with his knife and end it?  
  
_Again?_  
  
Jason lets out a shivering sigh as he sinks down with his back to a tree, overlooking the ocean. It should be all that matters, but something about the other man makes his head strange and lopsided.

How long had he been around Vaas now? How many days? How could a few days make him question everything? Not just his sanity, but his loyalty. And worse, make him question who he is, and what he's doing.  
  
He came here for Riley. For all of his friends. Freeing them meant freeing himself, so he'd be free to return to Citra.

_Citra..._

She's on the north island still, at least as far as he knows, yet it feels like she's a million miles away.  He can't decide if that's a good or a bad thing.

_She don't love me right._  
  
He still doesn't know what Vaas meant by that, yet his words keeps replaying over and over. Without Grant it's like Vaas is the only thing in his head. And it's been that way from day one, hasn't it? He's been a constant.  _The_  constant.  
  
He can't quite pinpoint the exact moment the pirate went from Grant's killer to something else. When he went from a slaver and a killer to someone human. Yet it's hard to say what Vaas really is to him.

The grass is soft against his fingers, and he strokes his hands over it mindlessly, refusing to acknowledge what it reminds him of.

He hates Vaas. He has to hate him. Has to hate how cruel and deranged the pirate is, but he can't ignore the other parts of who Vaas is either.

Ever since they left the warehouse Vaas has gone from someone he hated to someone he enjoys spending time with. It almost seems like the pirate king has calmed down a little.

Something clicks in his head just then.  
  
Vaas' mood swings. The shine of sweat on his forehead. His trembling hands. And then the gradual lack thereof. Vaas had both looked and acted a lot saner the past few days than he ever had before. Jason felt like kicking himself. Ollie might not be doing heavy drugs, but he had enough friends who did, and Jason should have been able to recognize withdrawals when it was literally staring him in the face. He suddenly feels very bad about comparing Vaas to a dog down in that basement. 

Not that it really matters. It probably doesn't even matter who Vaas is to him and who Jason is or used to be. Maybe the sanest thing would be to join the others and get out of there. 

There it is again. The  _sane_  decision.  
It has proven to be hard doing the  _sane_  thing here at Rook Islands.

It's not a bad idea though, just stop dwelling on Vaas and Citra and gather what's left of his friends and family and sail off. Patch things up with Liza, like he thought about earlier. Their relationship had been rocky even before they came to this place, but she still deserved better than what he had given her. Maybe he could make amends by devoting himself entirely to her. Devoting himself to his younger brother. For once be the person they had all wanted him to be.

Something aches inside of him as he thinks of it, going back to California. Leaving Rook. Leaving Citra. Leaving Vaas.  
  
He sees his life stretch out in two directions. The safe and the unsafe. The sane and the insane. 

Because maybe what he should do is go back to that bunker, back to Vaas, and keep exploring whatever Vaas awoke in him last night. If he has betrayed Grant, then the deception was already there, right? Maybe this was a line it was okay for Jason to cross, because he already had. Whatever Vaas is to him, it's something that is getting harder and harder to deny. Part of him feels like leaving Vaas would be to leave himself behind altogether.

And maybe that is the reason why he should go back there and end it. One way or another. Because there's no future here, there's nothing there. There can't be.

Jason laughs into the night, but still gets up. He laughs because despite everything, he's still the same indecisive prick he's always been. He gets up because he knows this is something he'll need to see through. 

For once he needs to find an end for it all.  
  


* * *

   
The walk back to the bunker is a short one, but it feels like it takes forever. His heart keeps pounding in his chest, and his palms feels sweaty, like he's getting ready for a first date or his own execution.

He climbs through the window, making his way down the stairwell in the dark, not wanting to waste time letting them adjust.  
  
They do as he steps into the bedroom. The room is empty. No sleeping pirate. His cover is tossed crudely aside like he woke up in a hurry.  
  
"Vaas?" Jason walks over to the bed they shared, feeling the sheets. They are still warm and he stares around the room, confused. The lantern is kicked to the side and Jason lifts it up and lights it.   
  
That's when he notices large droplets of something dark on the floor, leading to or from the doorway. He doesn't need to touch it to know what it is, but he does anyway, rubbing the blood between his fingers. It's fresh, still watery and a cold chill goes down his back, panic tightening his chest to the point where it feels like he might pass out.  
  
His mind tries to find excuses, tries to find explanations for this, reasons why this doesn't mean that something has happened to Vaas. There's not enough oxygen in the air around him. His lungs are aching, his whole chest burning like someone is strangling him from the inside, and he has to support himself on the smooth walls as he tries to make his way up the stairs. It reminds him of the feeling he had when he had to leave Grant behind. The feeling he had when he thought Riley was dead.  
_  
He's outside, having a cigarette, and we'll both laugh at this. We'll laugh, because there's no way anything has happened to him._

Jason moves faster now, the thoughts doing nothing to ease the terror in his chest.

_I just got him back...!_  
  
He hears rustling on the outside, feeding into the idea that Vaas is alright, and he's just about to climb back out through their window when he realizes the previously locked bunker doors are suddenly wide open. Time pauses, except the sound of blood rushing in his head.   
  
It's a trap. It must be. But how? The doors are unharmed, no one blasted through them and he knows they were locked solid when they arrived. He doesn't move, all senses on overdrive. Should he take the route he had planned through the window, or risk going out through the doors? It's hard to say if whoever is out there is counting on him to take the normal route or not. 

His heart sinks when this is absolute, definite proof that something must have happened to Vaas.  
  
_If Grant was here he'd know what to do._  Jason thinks with a heavy heart, but Grant's voice is still gone. Lost in the noise and the rush of blood and terror. Every fiber of his being urges him not to as he takes a few trying footsteps towards the open doors. 

_I'm a coward._  
  
It's so far from who he wants to be, what he wants to be, but he realizes it's true. The gun weighs heavy in his hand, and although he can't even remember taking it from his belt he grips it harder.   
  
The light is playing tricks on him, it's brighter outside, it has to be, yet from the inside it looks dark and foggy. Unnaturally so, like a concrete barrier between two worlds. Like he at any moment could stretch his hand out and feel the boundaries of it.  
  
There's not a single sound outside, like the world is holding it's breath, and he does the same as he takes a few steps out the door.  
  
He's on his knees before he even realizes what's going on, his fingers digging into hard soil. Something hits the ground under him, like raindrops, and he stares disoriented at them for a moment before he realizes it's blood.  
  
Everything around him is pulsating, the swirling fog creeping in around his peripheral vision.  
  
Forcing himself to look up, he can see a group of shadowy figures through the fog that's threatening to overpower him, their faces horribly warped and distorted.   
Their eyes shines sickly in the pale moonlight, their faces red and alien.  
  
Before he has the chance to say anything there's a sharp pain in the back of his head, and the world disappears in darkness.


	15. Chapter 15

Jason groans as he tries to open his eyes. The pain in the back of his head is blinding and overpowering and every time he tries to open his eyes he has to shut them tightly again. They are suddenly overly sensitive to light, and tears seep from his closed lids. His wrists are tied tightly behind his back, cutting off circulation. He tries to move them against the ropes, but they feel dead and lifeless.

In this darkened state he tries to map out his surroundings, like Grant once taught him. 

There's fire somewhere close to him, that much he can be sure of. Heat pulses over his body and he hears the flames licking the sides of whatever contains them. But there are other things as well. People murmuring. Muffled groans. And someone across from him shouting profanities.

It's Vaas. It has to be.  
  
Jason ignores the pain, shooting his eyes up. The pain is excruciating, and the world is foggy before he blinks it back into focus.

Vaas is tied to a pole across from him, a strange look on his face. His mouth is twisted in a grimace, his eyes narrow slits under his tensed eyebrows. He's just wearing combat pants, Jason notes, his muscular torso tensed against the ropes. Someone must have beaten him, there's blood trickling from his nose and mouth, and his left eye has started to swell up. That doesn't slow him down though, he's still as defiant as ever.

It isn't the blood or his unrelenting personality that shakes Jason though, it's the look in his eyes. It changed the minute Jason looked at him, going from frantic rage to something else. Something strange and alien and something Jason doesn't want to think about or even admit to.

"Jason! Jason! Talk to me. Fuck! I thought you were fucking dead!" Vaas is straining against the ropes as he speaks, his voice hoarse and cracked from all the yelling he must have done.  
  
"I'm fine." Jason lies, and Vaas' face changes again, lighting up from the inside for a fraction of a second before he has a chance to hide it.  
  
Jason's feelings might have been foggy out there by the bunker, but seeing Vaas bloody and beaten leaves no doubt in his mind. 

_I fucking care about him._

And that's a non-threatening way to see it. Not so dangerous to admit to. They hold eye-contact in silence for a while before he pries away from Vaas' gaze, staring around them.  
  
They are in a stone circle of some sort, but it's so dark around them it's hard to tell. The fire he heard and felt are all around them, but acting all wrong, like it can't penetrate the darkness that seems all-consuming and unnatural. It acts like it did outside the bunker and he cranes his neck to try to see more.

The murmuring of people have intensified, but Jason can't see anyone. 

He struggles weakly against his restraints, trying to get the tight knot far enough down over his thumb so he can slide out of it.  
  
"Citra!" Vaas suddenly shouts, jerking Jason's head back as if Vaas had his hands around his neck. "Citra! You bitch! You fucking snake!"

And there she is.

How long has it been since he saw her? A week? A month? Maybe just a few days. It feels like forever ago, yet he doesn't feel the way he thought he would seeing her again. She's still beautiful. Still so breathtaking when she moves out of the darkness like a Goddess, the flames reflected in her light blue eyes like her brother's.  
  
Yet she doesn't pack the same punch this time around. She must be aware because there's a fleeting look of worry on her face before it smooths back over. She doesn't speak, just moves like a ghost over to Jason, kneeling down in front of him. Vaas is still yelling something behind her, but Jason can't process the words anymore as she stares at him. It feels like she's staring right into him. Without a word she lifts a hand up in front of his face, extending her fingers. For some reason he can't pry away from her gaze, he's locked in them, like she's locked in his.

There's a small smile playing at the corners of her lips, because she knows, doesn't she? The power she has over him. She wields her control over him like a knife to the throat.  
She smiles wider, her eyes narrowing as she blows him a kiss. Sparks of something flares up in her hands and disappears in the wind around them, the air rushing over his face strangely perfumed and balmy. Somewhere in the back of his mind he's aware that Vaas is screaming his name, but it suddenly feels detached and unimportant.

"Citra-" Jason starts, but his tongue suddenly feels too big for his mouth, and he opens and closes his mouth a few times before he shuts it, marveling at how bright the world around him suddenly is.

The pressure around his wrists disappears and his arms feels light as feathers. It feels as if he has to force them down against his body to keep them from fluttering away. He's on his feet before he understands how he got there, the world hitching a little around him. His movements skips, like he's a broken record.

The flames are bigger now, wilder, licking the air as it lights up the area. For the first time he's able to take a look around him and he realizes with a jolt that people are surrounding them.

Not people, he corrects himself, because the darkness isn't the only thing that followed him, the creatures did as well, their faces red and grotesque. 

But worse than that, there's no world outside the stone circle, like they are extended in thin air. The sky suddenly shimmering and twisting with strange colours above them.  
  
"What is-" He starts, but his voice sounds so strange he shuts his mouth without finishing.

He can't focus on their faces. Every time he thinks he can there's a flicker, and their features change. It's disorienting and nauseating. He stares at them, unblinking, but the world tips instead. Their faces are constantly changing. Most of the time it's the red faced demon, other times just smoke. But every now and then the smoke flickers and he sees Grant. Riley. Liza. All of them. 

Even Vaas.

Citra is murmuring something comforting behind him, and he reaches for her. Her hand is strangely cold as he wraps his fingers around hers, or maybe it's just that he's too warm, but he holds on to her for dear life either way.

As he does there's a roar somewhere around him, like angry ocean waves. He tries to turn towards the sound, because that sound is important, but the world dips and shifts before he has a chance to orient himself.  
  
"You can be free." Citra whispers. How did she get into his head? Her voice fills his mind and pulses through him.  
  
Yes. He wants to be free. Doesn't he?  
  
"Yes." She breathes. "You want to."   
  
Her hand feels different. No longer just cold, but hard, like she's made of stone.  
  
"I want to." He repeats, holding on to her so hard he's surprised he hasn't crushed the bones in her hand.  
  
"You know what you need to do." She pushes him forward. It would be so relieving to be done with all of this. Leave everything that is undecided, although he can't remember what that might be right now. 

He moves as if he's under water, each movement slow and syrupy. The red-faced demons staring at him without a word, eyes gleaming white.

There's something on the ground in front of him. It used to be something else, but he's forgotten what it might have been. His mind feels murky and strange, and when he tries to remember it disappears between his hands like sand. As he moves closer to it he makes out the shape of another masked demon.

Its red face is staring up at him. This one doesn't have gleaming eyes of white, but black pits. They are empty and void of life. Its mouth twisted upwards in an ugly grimace that must have been intended as a smile. Jason looks back at Citra, who smiles reassuringly.  
  
"You're strong, Jason." She purrs, and the creature in front of him tries to say something, but Jason can't make out the words.  
  
What was going on earlier? What was he doing? What happened before Citra was there to fill up every inch of his world? And what is it she wants him to do?

"Citra-" He tries to speak, but his words comes out like a strange gargle, like he's trying to speak under water.

"You don't need any of them." She says, unfazed by the strangeness of his voice. "You don't need anything from your past life." 

_My past life..._

Something about that thought makes his throat run dry, and he stares at the thing in front of him, trying to blink the fog out of his eyes.

_Jason._

His own name fills his head, not Citra this time, but those angry ocean waves, and nausea rolls over him as he sinks down on his knees.

"You don't need any of them, Jason. You're  _better_  than them."  
  
Jason stares at the towering figures around him, stares at their flickering faces. She must be right, though he doesn't understand how.  
  
"Kill them." 

His face are mere inches away from the thing in front of him, and he moves his hand up to the creature's throat, his hand suddenly a fiery dagger. 

That can't be right, and he stares at his hand. Stares at the masked demon. Stares at the creatures surrounding him, all of them glowing bright. Their faces are suddenly snowy. Not longer demons, but those closest to him. 

The world is slowly coming back, although it's still wrong. Their faces stay still for longer though. Riley. Liza. Oliver. Daisy. Keith. And Vaas. 

Vaas is still on his knees, staring up at him with a bitter smile playing at his lips, blood seeping from the knife Jason has pressed against the pirate's neck.

"Vaas..." Jason mumbles, his voice sounding more like himself again, and something in Vaas' eyes changes.

The pirate opens his mouth and words must be coming out, but all Jason can hear is Citra.

"Let me  _love_  you Jason." She whispers. "Why wont you let me love you?"

Vaas' stares at him, and there is something in the way he looks at him that makes Jason hesitate when Vaas' face flickers to the red faced demon and back.

"Kill the traitor. Kill the coward." She breathes, each word spoken slowly and softly in stark contrast to what they mean. "Free yourself, Jason. Free all of us."

It looks as if Vaas knows how it's gonna end already. For the first time he looks defeated. His shoulders are slumped in resignation as he tries not to meet his sisters gaze. When Jason turns his head to glance over at her, she has that triumphant look in her eyes again, like she's sure as well.

What was it the pirate had called him? A manipulated fuck? Maybe Vaas was right. Maybe he'd been right all along.  
   
He stares at the shadowy world around him, and realizes he's been here before. 

"You're a warrior, Jason. A mighty warrior." Her voice is like an anchor in the dark, but it's like he's starting to lose his grip on her. He can't decide if he's trying to let go of her on purpose or not.

The last time he was here in this shimmering world, when he defeated the giant, she'd been on top of him. Looming over him, distracting him as he came to, distracting him from the fact that the world around them had been all wrong. He'd gotten this strange feeling coming to, before she had lured him with sensual movements and promises of a place to belong. Before that, before that he'd gotten the distinct feeling that she'd been part of the things he'd seen. Like she had drugged and tricked him all along. Manipulated him.

Jason understands for the first time what Vaas meant about being on a leash, because he must be as well. Her control over him isn't a knife to his throat, but a leash tightening around his neck.

The hand holding the knife is shaking against Vaas' neck, and his heart thumps wildly against his ribs. Not only is he allowing Citra to manipulate him, she's trying to make him hurt her own brother. Hurting someone Jason no longer wants to hurt. And yet he feels unable to lower his hand. She keeps pushing him, twisting Vaas' features into something unfamiliar and grotesque.

_I know you_ , he thinks desperately. _I know you...!_

Vaas isn't pleading, isn't even looking at Jason anymore, his head hanging low against the blade.

"Kill him!" Citra commands, and although Jason doesn't remove the dagger from Vaas' throat he still shakes his head weakly.

"No." He mumbles, ignoring the ripples in the world around him. His leash tightens, although he knows it's just in his head. 

"Kill the traitor." She hisses, her voice like a sensual snake inside his head, and he stares down at Vaas again, his face flickering and inhuman.

"Are you ready?" Jason whispers tonelessly, the world still tipping a little, although his voice sounds more like himself again.  
  
Vaas doesn't look at him, his eyes stays closed, but his eyelids quiver slightly.

"Yeah, Jason." He mumbles flatly. "I'm ready." 

It's harder to gauge the distance than he wants to admit and he bites the usual spot inside of his cheek as he puts the blade up against Vaas' restrains, his hands shaking as he cuts the tight ropes around Vaas' wrists. 

The pirate's eyes snaps open, widening in confusion as he stares at the ground, no doubt waiting for Jason to slit his throat as well, but his shoulders are no longer slumped. Jason lays his hands on Vaas' shoulders, feeling his tight muscles relax under his fingers.

"No more." He mumbles as he strokes his thumb over Vaas' chin. "No more of this." He's speaking more to Citra than to Vaas, but Vaas still stares up at him in dumbfounded surprise as Jason gets back up on his feet. His knees are shaking, but the world is quickly surging back into focus. 

Whatever Citra gave him no longer carries the same effect, and he walks up to Riley and his friends to cut their restraints, ignoring Citra behind him and the Rakyat standing in a circle around them, their faces like stone.

"They'll leave you!" Her voice is still soft, but suddenly laced with panic. "I will never leave you!

"You crazy bitch." Vaas sneers, and he takes a few steps towards his sister, who doesn't even flinch. Jason stops him before he has a chance to charge for her.   
  
"Don't bother." He whispers, and it looks as though he slapped her, judging by the look on her face.

Vaas stops, breathing heavily as Jason turns for his brother. Riley stares at him, mouth open, but he isn't able to speak as Jason cuts the ropes around his wrists.

"I'm sorry, Riley." Jason mumbles, his tongue still not cooperating properly. "I'm so sorry."  
  
He was supposed to be better than this. Better than he was. Better than he is. Be strong like Grant and save them, not be a manipulated coward.

"You can have it all, Jason!" Citra pleads. "Don't leave me for them! Stay here at your island! I am yours!"  
  
The Rakyat are standing around them in a tighter circle now, their faces still hard and unreadable, but they haven't raised their weapons. 

_At least not yet_ , Jason thinks bitterly as he cuts the final restraints off, grabbing Liza's hand as she almost collapses on the ground. 

"Just let us go." He wheezes, trying to keep his voice from breaking as he reaches for Vaas. "Just let us go, Citra."  
  
There's a flicker of resentment on her face as his hand wraps around Vaas' wrist.

"I'm done." He adds tiredly, motioning for him friends to follow them. 

 It might have been more of a poetic ending for him to toss the dagger down on the ground, but he hands it over to Vaas instead.

This island. This tribe. This dagger. They're all Vaas'. Not his.

But Vaas does it for him. He weighs the dagger in his hands for a second like he's considering using it, but in the end he just tosses it on the ground in front of his sister before he turns without a word.

For the first time Jason realizes that it isn't just he who has changed. Vaas has as well. Maybe Jason has bled onto Vaas, the same way Vaas has bled onto him. Both of them taking something from the other, turning into someone else. Someone better. 

Jason's too tired to feel fear as they start making their way towards the end of the circle, too exhausted to care as they break through and starts walking the path down from the temple center. The torches are all lit, the flickering flames showing which way to go.

Jason still has his hand tightly around Vaas' wrist, ignoring his friends as they shy as far away as possible from the pirate. Vaas doesn't look like he cares much about what the others might think, he twists free from his grip and laces his fingers firmly with Jason's instead.

_I am free._  Jason realizes.  _For the first time I'm truly free._

Because right now, as he breathes the cool, clean air, feeling the warmth from Vaas' hand and the knowledge that he's finally saved Riley and the others, he feels light as air. Grant might not be there with him, not even as a voice inside his head, but with a heavy heart he's come to realize that it might be a kind of freedom in itself. 

Not that he's not missing his brother. Not that he wouldn't trade his own life for his, but clinging to the dead wont resolve a thing.

He swallows hard, ignoring the lump in his throat as they draw closer to the temple doors.

"You don't get to leave me." 

He wasn't aware Citra was behind them before he hears her voice in his ear, and something warm floods over his back. His body jerks as she pulls the dagger out of his shoulder.

For a second it's like he's drugged up again, or that he's dreaming, everything moves slowly. He's unable to speak as he stares at Vaas' face, his mouth opened in surprise. It's obscene, but for a second he thinks back to when Vaas sank into him, that same look on his face then as now, and he can't help wondering if he has the same look on his face as well. Vaas' face changes before Jason has the chance to say anything or laugh for that matter, going from surprise to pure rage.

He's seen that look on his face before, though it's getting harder to remember when, the heat on his back has changed to pure ice. Citra's voice is suddenly floating above him, and he realizes he must be on his knees.

"You are a warrior!" Citra screams, unhinged now, her whole face twisted in rage. "Act like one! You're the perfect warrior Jason!"  
  
But there's no fight left in him. There's screaming around him, he can see his friends as they shout something at Citra, her dagger raised. It's bloody, thick droplets falling lazily onto the ground below her.

He thinks for a moment that he'll be forced to sit here on his knees, unable to do a thing as she kills off everyone he loves and everything he's fought for. He leans his head back, but before he has the chance to close his eyes there's a flash in front of him as Vaas' leaps forward.

For a moment he's confused by the horrified expression on Citra's face, from this angle it looks as if the siblings are merely embracing, but as Vaas takes a step back, he sees the blood.

She falters a little, but stays upright, even as blood starts bubbling out through her lips, small streams of it running down her chin.  
  
"Vaas..." She murmurs, reaching her fingers up to the dagger, feeling the hilt of it before she sinks down on her knees. "Jason..." Her voice is smaller now, weak, a mere whisper of the power she used to exhume. 

Vaas makes a small, choked sound, but Jason doesn't turn to look at him, just stares at Citra as blood starts pooling around her. He tries to make his way over to her, losing his balance as he crawls along the cracked stone. There's no real tenderness behind his reasoning, just a flicker of compassion for the warrior Goddess as she's on her knees.

"Citra." He says simply, and she clings to his hands. Streams of tears are running down her cheeks, and he touches her face tentatively. It doesn't look like she's all there anymore, her eyes glazes over every now and then as she tries to keep eye contact. 

"I'm sorry." She starts, blood oozing from her lips as she speaks. "... Give you anything. Everything." She mumbles incoherently, her voice dying down as she closes her eyes.  
  
Jason doesn't know what to say to that, or what to say at all, he just holds her as she sinks down in his arms. And as she breathes out one final time it's like the leash around his neck finally loosens. 

There's no joy in this. There's no happiness as he lets go of her for good. 

Because despite everything, despite everything she did, he doesn't doubt that she loved him.

 


	16. Epilogue

* * *

 

For a second he doesn't understand where he is or how he got there. For a moment he thinks he might have died. There's rocking below him, like he's floating on water, the sky bright blue above him. Maybe he's back in California. Maybe he's in someone's pool and this was all a dream.

Or maybe he's soaring in the sky like when he was a child, laying on his back on the swing set in their backyard, watching the sky above him. Maybe this is what death is like. It hurts to move his eyes, but he catches a glimpse of a rusty metal railing next to him, and he realizes it must be his turn to lay in the shadow in a boat. He shields his eyes weakly as he stares in front of him, sees the familiar outlines of Riley and his friends as they stare out at the horizon. He does the same, his eyes watering without him knowing why as Rook Islands disappears in the distance.

He should be happy to see it go. To see all of it go. Finally leave it all behind. But his chest aches nonetheless.  
  
He says goodbye again. Says goodbye for real this time, to those he's left behind. Says goodbye to his braver older brother. He tries not to dwell too much on the fact that he'll grow older, while Grant will stay the same. He'll grow older than Grant will ever be. But not just Grant, he realizes, he says goodbye to all the ghosts out there. How many people had to die for him to get here? He shuts his eyes tightly as he tries to forget.

 _How can I come back from this?_ He thinks desperately. _How can I go back to who I used to be?_

None of the others had to kill to survive out there. None of them had to go through what Jason had to go through, yet he's caught more than one lingering half-glance when they think he can't see, like they have any right to judge him or what he had to do to save them. He doesn't like the implications of those stares. Like he's a rabid dog.

But then again, maybe he is. How will he be able to fit into society again? Follow rules and regulations, and not just the law of the jungle?

Maybe he should have just stayed there at Rook Islands like he first planned, but as the mountains disappears in the ocean he realizes he doesn't want to go back, even if he could.

"Wake the fuck up, Jason."

He shouldn't be surprised that Vaas is there, but for a moment he's back to wondering if he's dreaming again. Vaas' tone is light, but there's tension in his voice, and the hand stroking through Jason's hair is surprisingly gentle. "You had me real fucking scared there for a minute, you know that?"

Jason groans as he tries to sit up, but Vaas just pushes him back down.

"Don't move." He commands, and Jason sinks back down without a word. His voice must have alerted the others, because behind them he can see his friends look back at them.

Riley's face lights up when he sees Jason, and Jason feels ashamed he ever thought his brother judged him. Out of the three brothers, Riley was always the kind and understanding one. Riley probably had no doubts about Jason making it back to who he was. Vaas stops them when they start walking over with a glare though, and they stay back. Jason had wondered briefly how Vaas made it on the boat in the first place, but seeing their terrified faces it couldn't have been hard.

"You came with." It isn't a question, and Vaas stares at him.

"Of course I fucking did. There's nothing for me back there."

Jason studies Vaas' face in silence. If Jason feels like a rabid dog, then he wonders how Vaas must be feeling. If there's no normalcy for Jason out there, then what is left for Vaas?

"Your sister-" He starts, but doesn't finish when Vaas' face falls a little.

"She might still be my sister, but she stopped being family a long fucking time ago." There's still a look of anguish on his face, but his words are hard.

"Family is one kind of leash, Jason, drugs are another." Vaas continues, his voice low, probably afraid the others will overhear. "I broke free from Citra's leash. Okay, I went from that to Hoyt's. I know Citra likes to say he took my mind from me and maybe he did."

He stares at Vaas for a second, who's too stunned to speak, before he stares back at where Rook Islands were a minute ago.

"I'm not gonna say I saw you and the world changed, okay? I'm not gonna bullshit you. I saw a stupid white boy trying to fuck my sister."

Jason tries not to, but he chuckles at that, and Vaas looks at him, one side of his mouth hitching a little. Then his face grows serious again and he puts a hand on Jason's chest.

"At first I couldn't understand why I didn't just fucking kill you. Then I realized that part of me thought maybe you'd see the truth. That maybe _this_ time, this time someone would see who Citra really is." His eyes goes glassy. "Who she was." He corrects himself. "That someone would finally kill me. Kill Hoyt. Kill her. End all that shit."

They stay silent as Vaas draws small circles with his fingertips on the crook of Jason's arm.

"What happens now?" Jason mumbles, almost embarrassed, and Vaas smiles, eyes not leaving his fingers on Jason's arm.

"I dunno, what do you want to happen?"

Jason doesn't know how to answer that. Just as he's about to say that out loud, Vaas intertwines his fingers with Jason's, and a strange tingle in the pit of his stomach makes him swallow hard.

There's too much here between them, yet too many things that should make it impossible.  
  
"I can't hear him anymore." Jason whispers weakly, and Vaas stops as he stares at him in confusion.

"Grant." He explains, and Vaas frowns and looks down at their hands. "I used to hear him. All the time. And now he's gone."

He coughs as he grabs on to Vaas' hand with both of his, making the pirate look at him again.

"I lost him to you both times." He says, ignoring when the slaver tightens his grip on him. "I betrayed him down in that bunker and he left me for good."

Vaas stays silent for a second, his eyes darting back down to their laced fingers.

"Maybe." He starts, clearing his throat nervously. "Maybe it isn't that you betrayed him, but... You know. Maybe you found something else to hold on to? Someone else?"

Jason sinks down further as he considers it, Vaas' eyes on him again, his expression wary now that Jason's fingers have gone slack in his hand.

"You know, I had this idea that I was gonna free your soul. That I would somehow save you from yourself, save you from Citra's bullshit but," Vaas mumbles, his expression open in wounded honesty. "Maybe it was just as much about you freeing mine."

"The painting?" Jason asks, and Vaas' lips twitch. He almost looks embarrassed for a second, like he hoped Jason hadn't seen it.

"I painted us both as fucking saviours, white boy."

Jason thinks back to the warehouse. It feels like forever ago now, stumbling over that painting of half-Jason, half Vaas, like some distorted savior in the dark.

 _You are me and I am you_ repeated forever, even when the paint dries up and covers what's underneath.

And that makes him feel better in a way. Savior-Jason, with his outstretched hands and crooked cross, watching over his brother out there on the island. Maybe he's not leaving him behind at all.

Vaas must see his expression change, because his does as well, his face relaxing as Jason lace their fingers harder.

Part of him will be there forever, Jason realizes, because he's leaving something else behind as well. Not just the painting and whatever blood he lost out there in the jungle. There's a part of him buried out there with his brother; The Jason he used to be.

He's not leaving anyone behind.

He looks up at Vaas, the pirate's expression softening a little as Jason smiles.  
  
And a part of the jungle will stay with him as well, because this wasn't just about Jason. Not just about Riley or even Grant. This was just as much about Vaas.

They both walked on that path through the jungle, perhaps they even walked on it together. Bleeding onto each other, their hands somehow finding each other in all the darkest parts of who they had become. Clawing their way out on the other side, breaking through into the light.

And maybe that was the answer all along. Maybe that was the answer for both of them.

 

~End

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, commenting and kudo'ing. It really means a lot to me.  
> I feel ashamed that it took so long for me to finish this final, short epilogue, but hey, life, amirite?
> 
> I keep wanting to go back and add bits and bobs and chapters, in a way it's really sad for me to see them go.  
> I do hope and think that adding wouldn't really add to the story though, so I'll leave it be. I've already started drabbling on a new story about them, so I hope it wont stay sad for long, haha :D
> 
> Thank you all again <3


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